Merging 3 phases not feasible in Bengal: EC

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday said that clubbing the remaining three phases of the ongoing West Bengal elections was not feasible because they were notified separately, turning down a request from the Trinamool Congress that asked for the polls to be curtailed due to surging Covid-19 cases.

Forty-three seats across Bengal vote in the sixth phase on Thursday. The seventh and the eighth phases, for 34 and 35 seats, respectively, will be held on April 26 and 29.

In its response to a letter by TMC MP Derek O’Brien, ECI said the panel had reduced the duration of the elections by 11 days, when compared to the 2016 polls. It also highlighted measures taken by the commission to ensure Covid safety protocol, including increasing polling booths by 32%, banning campaigning between 7pm and 10am and extending the silent period from 48 to 72 hours.

But it cited the 1951 Representation of the People Act to say that TMC’s request of clubbing the final phases was not feasible.

“Keeping this statutory requirement in view, notifications of the schedule of elections have been issued, in which at least 14 days period has been prescribed for each phase of poll. Each phase of election is distinct and notified separately u/s 30 of the RP Act, 1951.In view of this, your submission that 52 days of campaign period has already been availed is misleading and not in accordance with law,” the letter read.

In the letter dated April 20, O’Brien had asked the commission to club the last three phases in view of rising cases across West Bengal. TMC chief Mamata Banerjee has also made multiple appeals to the commission, asking them to consider clubbing the remaining phases to contain the spread of the disease. The state posted10,784 cases and 58 deaths on Wednesday.

The issue has been particularly contentious with opposition parties alleging that ECI was acting at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and that not clubbing the phases would lead to a serious spike in the number of Covid-19 cases.

Many political parties, such as the TMC and the BJP have already taken a decision to curtail public events, while former Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi cancelled all his upcoming rallies in the state on Sunday.

In its response to the MP, ECI highlighted :“You are aware that scheduling for an election is an activity planned much in advance taking complex interplay of variety of factors ranging from optimal utilisation of resources, manpower and training thereof...and assessment of prevailing law & order situations,” ECI said in its response.

The commission drew attention to Section 30 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which states, “the date or dates on which a poll shall, if necessary, be taken, which or the first of which shall be a date not earlier than the fourteenth day after the lust date for the withdrawal of candidatures”.