Kolkata, March 9 (IANS) A delegation of the West Bengal unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), on Monday, appealed to the full Bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state scheduled later this year in a single-phase. 

A three-member delegation of the West Bengal unit of the CPI(M), led by the party’s Politburo member and state secretary in West Bengal, Mohd Salim, on Monday morning, met the full Bench of the Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, who is on a two day visit to West Bengal.

The CEC is on a visit to review the ongoing judicial adjudication of the voters’ documents identified as “logical discrepancy” cases as well as the preparedness for the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state scheduled later this year.

Speaking to media persons after coming out of the meeting with the ECI’s full Bench, Salim said that the party delegation had demanded single-phase polling this time or maximum two-phase polling, but not more than that.

“At the same time, we questioned the Commission on why it made the common voters their enemies by conducting the Special Intensive Revision in such an unplanned manner. We questioned why the Commission had virtually declared war against the common people through this revision exercise. Why the Election Commission had turned into a ‘Torture Commission?’ We told them that ECI should maintain its own dignity as a constitutional body,” Salim said.

A delegation of the West Bengal unit of the Congress also met the ECI’s full Bench on Monday morning.

After coming out of the meeting, the Congress delegation leader and the former party Rajya Sabha member, Pradip Bhattacharya, said that although they have not commented on the number of phases that the polls should be conducted in, they said that the Commission, this time, should do whatever is necessary to ensure free and fair polls.

“Whether there be a single-phase, two-phase, or three-phase polling that is not our lookout. What we asked the Commission is to ensure that the polls this time are conducted under blanket security cover to prevent repetition of the past instances of violence, rigging, and intimidation of voters and Opposition party agents. Though we will be happy if the vote is held in a single-phase. But security is our priority, and we have made it clear to the Commission,” Bhattacharya said.

--IANS