She also pointed out: “If there are multiple phases, voter turnout drops like it happened in 2019 compared to its previous occasion. It is also against federal structure as it helps those, who have the moneypower, to mobilize their funds fully by utilizing the time they get out of multiple phases.”
Bhattacharya added, “Many bigger states are going to have one phase poll. There was no need to hold the LS polls here in seven phases.” Among the 42 seats in Bengal, three seats each will go to the first two phases.
These are Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri on April 19 and Darjeeling, Raiganj and Balurghat on April 26. The third phase on May 4 will cover Malda North, Malda South, Murshidabad and Jangipur.
On May 13, Berhampore, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Bardhaman–Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur, Birbhum– will go to polls in the fourth round, followed by Bongaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly and Arambagh– in the fifth phase on May 20.
While the sixth phase on May 25 will cover Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura and Bishnupur, the seventh and final round will have Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Joynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, Kolkata Uttar on June 1.
