Debate over phased voting heats up ahead of Bengal polls

A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday urged the Election Commission of India to conduct the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election in not more than three phases, citing concerns over security and the need for a smoother electoral process in West Bengal.

The BJP delegation met the full bench of the Commission in New Delhi and submitted a 16-point charter of demands , highlighting issues related to law and order ahead of the Assembly polls. The leaders held discussions with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay said the party had requested the Commission to limit polling to a maximum of three phases, arguing that a shorter election schedule would help reduce tensions and ensure better administrative management. The party also raised concerns about the deployment of nearly 400 companies of central armed police forces , alleging that they were not being effectively utilised in sensitive areas. Another delegation member, Shishir Bajoria, claimed route marches by central forces were being conducted in relatively peaceful locations rather than vulnerable zones. The party further urged the Commission to revise the criteria for identifying sensitive polling booths .

The BJP’s demand for fewer phases comes in contrast to the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, which was conducted in eight phases . The demand is officially framed as a step to ensure security and violence-free polling , while analysts say a shorter campaign window could also offer strategic electoral advantages . In the 2021 Assembly election, the BJP won 77 out of 294 seats , and this time the party is aiming to cross the majority mark and end the long rule of the All India Trinamool Congress in the state .

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also urged the Election Commission to conduct the election in a single phase, or at most two phases , with state secretary Mohammed Salim arguing that multi-phase polling allows anti-social elements to move between constituencies and disrupt the process.

Separately, the Supreme Court of India on Monday agreed to hear a fresh plea filed by individuals whose names were allegedly deleted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision conducted by the Election Commission in West Bengal. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of submissions by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, who argued that several voters who had participated in earlier elections were now facing deletion as their documents were allegedly not accepted during verification.

The court had earlier allowed the deployment of civil judges along with around 250 district judges to deal with nearly 80 lakh claims and objections arising from the revision exercise, with additional judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha assisting in the process. The court noted that resolving the large number of claims could take around 80 days .