Political parties seek multi-phase elections in West Bengal

KOLKATA: The opposition parties in West Bengal on Thursday urged Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi to conduct assembly elections in West Bengal in five to seven phases.

The full bench of Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi is on Thursday holding a series of meetings with all the political parties, senior government officials and district administration before initiating measures for the assembly election due next year.

"We have requested the CEC to ensure that the elections are free and fair and all necessary steps should be taken to ensure that people can vote with any fear or intimidation. We have not specified any phases as it is too early," CPI(M) state secretariat member Rabin Deb said after the meeting.

CPI(M) ally Forward Bloc has demanded elections be held in six phases.

The Congress delegation led by senior Congress leader Manas Bhunia too has requested the Election Commission to ensure presence of enough adequate central forces ahead of the polls.

"We have told the EC to ensure that there are enough central forces in the state ahead of the polls. We want elections in 5-6 phases," he said.

The BJP delegation demanded elections be held in seven phases in the state.

The ruling Trinamool Congress delegation led by state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said on Thursday that they have urged the commission to ensure that all the legal voters are enlisted in the voter list that will be released on January 5.

"West Bengal is a state which is most tolerant, communal harmony is beyond question. We have requested the CEC to ensure that all the legal voters are enlisted in the voter list," Chatterjee said.

State urban development affairs minister Firhad Hakim, who accompanied Chatterjee said, the time is not yet ripe to talk about multi-phase elections.