Ramzan & Norwesters: How Bengal Netas Reacted to 7-Phase Polls

The TMC opposed it, BJP welcomed it and the Congress-Left opposed it but called it necessary.

Here’s how the TMC, BJP CPI(M) and Congress reacted to seven-phased polls in West Bengal.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Long-drawn-out polls are not alien to Bengal. Especially in the last few elections. The Assembly elections of 2016 saw the state voting in seven phases as well.

Even though, the Trinamool Congress swept those polls – from the third phase onwards, word was rife in the state, that the TMC was losing perception points to the Left-Congress alliance. The party’s final tally was attributed largely to its excellent booth management at the ground level.

The panchayat polls held in May 2018 were marred by widespread violence both during campaigning as well as during the polls. Over 71,500 armed personnel were deployed.

A multi-phased poll was thus expected.

But what are the implications of such a long-drawn poll process? And how is it being used politically?

Trinamool Brings Up the Ramzan Issue

The “national” leaders of the Trinamool were late to react to news of the seven-phased polls. The first person to react from the party was Kolkata Mayor and State Urban Development Minister Firhad (Bobby) Hakim.

“Election Commission is a constitutional body and we respect them. We don't want to say anything against them. But the seven-phase election will be tough for people in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. It will be most difficult for those who will be observing Ramzan at that time,” said Hakim.

Adding that the “BJP does not want minorities to cast their vote.”

Political observers in the state, though, say that this is just politick-ing and nothing else.

“We do everything else during Ramzan. It’s not like the whole month is a holiday for us. So why can’t we go cast our vote?”, said a Muslim Trinamool supporter on condition of anonymity to The Quint.

The immediate posturing from the Trinamool side was to play to their minority vote-bank and prove that the “BJP-scheduled” elections were anti-minority.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee finally reacted to the announcement a day late, to say this:

“The weather is not favourable for such a long-drawn-out election – there is heat, there are norwesters. These will inconvenience voters.”

Do 7-Phase Polls Help the BJP?

Going back to the Assembly Polls of 2016, and the results that followed – the answer to that would be no.

“For parties which are smaller in terms of cadre strength, it is logistically easier for us to deploy people for booth management etc when there are a lesser number of constituencies going to polls on a particular day,” said a BJP worker. “That way it will be easier for us.”

Others in the Trinamool are wary about how the BJP will use the whole election season to amplify its optical battle against Banerjee.

“In the election season, a small incident can snowball into something big very soon. One mistake here or there and many votes are lost on the ground. A long drawn out election means more time for such mistakes to happen,” said a Trinamool booth worker.

It also means more time for the Opposition to pick on these mistakes and use it, however subtly, to influence voting till the last hour. Something that the Trinamool saw happen in 2016.

Publicly, of course, the BJP in Bengal has welcomed the seven phases.

“The law and order situation in Bengal is not conducive to free and fair polls unless the forces man the booths,” said state BJP President Dilip Ghosh.

‘Seven Phases a Problem, But a Necessity,’ Say Left & Congress

The Left Front as well as the Congress have registered their reservations with the seven-phase polls, while at the same time maintaining that elections in West Bengal have become increasingly violent, thus also mandating such a process.

Both parties also say they fell prey to “large-scale violence by the ruling party” during the Panchayat polls.

To respond to the issue, however, the Congress chose to borrow a leaf from the TMC’s book.

“We don’t really have a problem with the seven phases. We have a problem that it is being done during Ramzan. This is being done to benefit the BJP,” said Bengal Congress Chief Somen Mitra to The Quint.

But he also added that casting a vote is a problem in Bengal because “the ruling party does not allow free and fair casting.”

The CPI(M), on the other hand, contends that this reflects the perception of West Bengal as a state with growing crime records.

“Bihar and UP used to be remarked upon as the worst in terms of crime records. Now West Bengal is being seen in the same league as them. That’s because of how the last few elections have been conducted in the state. It speaks volumes about the quality of elections in the state,” says the CPI(M)’s Shatarup Ghosh.

“There is of course a downside to such a long-drawn process. But no one willingly does this. Either we have to compromise with the quality of elections. Or to ensure fair elections, we have to make other compromises,” he added.