Other than West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will also be going to the polls in seven phases.
Representational Image (Photo:ANI)
The general elections in West Bengal will be held in seven phases, starting from 19 April and ending on 1 June, which has evoked a strong protest from the ruling Trinamul Congress in the state. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday afternoon announced the dates of the seven-phase Lok Sabha (LS) elections.
Other than West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will also be going to the polls in seven phases. By-elections in two Assembly seats ~ Bhagbangola in Murshidabad and Barahanagar in North 24-Parganas district will also be held, on 7 May and 1 June, respectively The Bhagbangola assembly seat has been vacant after the death of Trinamul Congress MLA Idris Ali while former Trinamul Congress MLA Tapas Roy from Barahanagar seat in the northern part of the city resigned in February as a member of the legislative Assembly.
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Mr Roy has joined BJP after quitting the Trinamul Congress. Ever since the countdown for general elections began in February, the Trinamul Congress leadership had been demanding single-phase polls in West Bengal. Criticising the role of the ECI, Trinamul Congress MP Sukhendusekhar Roy said: “The Election Commission is an impartial body and we have nothing to say against them. But it’s surprising when we see that elections in Bengal will be held over 43 days.
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They could have held polls for each seat one day at a time and the entire process would have taken 42 days for 42 LS seats.” “It is ridiculous. Why does the commission give such treatment to Bengal repeatedly? They want to the destroy federal structure of the country ignoring the views and demands of the state,” he said.
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