Clashes during counting of votes for Lok Sabha elections in Burdwan district of West Bengal on May 23, 2019. (PTI/File)
According to political experts, the decision of the Election Commission to have West Bengal and Bihar vote in seven phases like Uttar Pradesh reflects the political volatility in the eastern states
West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will see seven phase elections this time too as per the Lok Sabha election schedule 2024 announced by the Election Commission of India on Saturday.
West Bengal used to vote in five-phased elections till 2014, but two more phases were added in the 2019 general elections.
In 2019, Bengal and Bihar were put in the same bracket of seven-phased elections like Uttar Pradesh. But, in terms of number of constituencies, Uttar Pradesh is the largest state, sending 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Bengal and Bihar, with 42 and 40 constituencies, respectively, had followed the same election schedule in 2019.
According to the 2024 election dates, Bihar and Bengal will see polling of six to seven constituencies on an average per phase, while Uttar Pradesh, that has almost double the number of seats, will also see a seven-phase poll.
History of Violence
According to political experts, the decision of the Election Commission reflects the political volatility in West Bengal and Bihar.
For West Bengal, political situation and circumstances changed post-Panchayat polls in 2018. The Panchayat elections saw unabated violence as hundreds of seats, around 34%, remained uncontested. Several opposition parties filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking protection.
The 2019 elections, despite taking place in seven phases and with the presence of a good number of central forces, did not go violence-free. The West Bengal Assembly elections in 2021 were held in eight phases. However, the state witnessed a series of clashes and incidents of political violence. Apart from the incidents during polls, the state saw extensive post-poll violence. The related cases are still pending with the CBI.
For West Bengal, the EC has deployed 920 companies of central police forces. The deployment of forces in higher than that for Jammu and Kashmir, which is a strife-stricken region.
The deployment explains the extent of violence West Bengal sees during the election, said a senior police officer.
Bihar, that will also see seven phase elections, will witness deployment of 295 companies in the state for general elections this year.
