The Election Commission is likely to conduct the West Bengal assembly elections in two phases, a senior poll body official said on Thursday. A final decision will be taken after another round of meetings at the EC’s New Delhi office.
"The assembly elections to 294 seats in West Bengal will most likely be held in two phases from next month," the official said.
The indication follows meetings between Election Commission officials and political parties in Kolkata earlier this week.
According to the official, most political parties in the state, except the ruling Trinamool Congress, favoured elections in one or two phases during their interaction with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
He said similar suggestions were also made by officials from the administration and security forces.
"Conducting assembly elections in West Bengal in two phases would help check poll-related violence as miscreants would not get the time to move from one place to another to create disturbances. This factor will also be considered before taking the final call," he said.
When asked whether the polls could still be held in a single phase, the official said it was possible but unlikely.
"We had conducted the assembly elections in Maharashtra, which has 288 seats, in one phase in 2024. It is not an impossible task to conduct a single-phase election in West Bengal, but this time, it is very unlikely."
The official said law and order during the election period remains a major concern for the Election Commission. Senior officials of the West Bengal government have assured the poll body that there will be tight vigil during the pre-poll and post-poll periods.