Staggered Lok Sabha Poll Schedule ‘Makes No Sense’, Say Twitterati

Why does a peaceful state like Maharashtra need 4 phases of polling, asked Twitter.

The schedule for the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections was announced on Sunday 10 March. The election is scheduled to begin on 11 April and will be held over seven phases. The results will be announced on 23 May.

As Twitterati geared up for elections, there were also questions about the extended election schedule in many states. Bihar, UP and West Bengal will have seven phases of poll while in Maharashtra and Odisha, the election will be held in 4 phases.

While some were of the view that this will greatly inconvenience the voters, others tried to figure out the objective behind the staggering election schedule.

Activist Yogendra Yadav put out a series of questions for the Election Commission regarding the stretched schedule. Some of the questions were: Why is West Bengal poll extended to 7 phases? If state polls in Madhya Pradesh took place in one day, why 4 phases for Lok Sabha polls?

Some genuine Qs (no accusation)for EC:

* Why Odisha in 4 phases, when AP/Tel in 1 Ph?

* Why extend WB to 7 Ph?

* If MP state poll in 1 day, why LS in 4 Ph?

* Why decouple snow bound areas of HP and Uttkd?

* Why extend Maha to 4 Ph?

* Why decouple assembly & LS polls in JK?

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 10, 2019

Journalist Amey Tirodkar said those states where BJP hopes to win more seats are divided into various phases, alleging that it seemed like “Narendra Modi want [sic] to address as many as rallies as possible in these states.”

See keenly the election phases.
Where BJP hopes to win more seats, those states are divided into various phases. Like Maharashtra four phases.

It looks like Narendra Modi want to address as many as possible rallies in these states.

why world's largest party is so nervous?

— amey tirodkar (@ameytirodkar) March 10, 2019

Others echoed this thought. Author Krishan Partap Singh said that the election schedule makes no sense from logistical, security or climatic points of view.

It does not take more than a glance at this map to see this election schedule makes no sense from logistical, security or climatic points of view. It appears to me only the election campaign schedule of one individual was kept in mind. pic.twitter.com/0cQfkjwoNn

— Krishan Partap Singh (@RaisinaSeries) March 10, 2019

There were also opinions that the 7 phase polls in Bengal will give “ample time for riot mongering processions.”

7 phase polls in #Bengal. Ample time for riotmongering processions by BJP RSS to cause riots & mayhem. A desperate BJP is using the Election Commission of India (ECI) to maul the spirit of the Bengali people. Mughals failed, British failed, these Gutkha gangsters will fail too.

— Garga Chatterjee (@GargaC) March 10, 2019

Since there were arguments that multiple phases allow to maintain the law and order situation, senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai asked why a “peaceful state like Maharashtra needs a four phase poll.”

Maharashtra over 4 phases? Why, oh why, does a peaceful, stable state like Maharashtra need a four phase poll? We are now stretching the election like a never ending film! Digital age calls for a shorter election cycle.. #IndiaElects

— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) March 10, 2019

Why No Assembly Elections In J&K?

Twitterati also questioned the decision to not hold Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Former CM of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah expressed his protest through a tweet that said that this is the first time since 1996 that Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are not being held. “Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K ,” he tweeted.

In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) March 10, 2019

Another Twitter user said it is bizarre that when the atmosphere is conducive to conduct Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, why not Assembly Elections?

The atmosphere is conducive to conduct Lok Sabha Elections in J&K but not for Assembly. What a bizarre logic?

— Ashok Upadhyay (@ashoupadhyay) March 10, 2019