"We Will Win But Feel Bad For People": Trinamool On 7-Phase Polls

Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress has severely criticised the announcement of a seven-phase Lok Sabha election in the state, saying it would inconvenience the people.

Senior party leader Firhad Hakim said the schedule would make no difference to the Trinamool Congress, which will win all 42 seats in the state.

The opposition parties have said the staggering of the elections indicated the Election Commission's view of the law and order in the state.

"Don't think BJP will benefit" from the seven-phase election, but the "people would suffer, we feel bad about that," said Mr Hakim, who is also a minister in Mamata Banerjee's government.

The prolonged polling process will put a lot of pressure on the people because the elections would stretch through the summer months of April-May, during which time, Ramzan is also held, the party said.

In its briefing, the Election Commission said it had taken into account harvest and exams as well as festivals while deciding on the poll schedule.

Lok Sabha elections in Bengal will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, the Election Commission said today. The counting of votes will be held on May 23.

"The seven-phase election reflects the law and order situation in the state... how people were stopped from exercising their democratic rights," CPM politburo member Mohammed Salim said, referring to the violence that took place during the panchayat polls in the state last year.

"We hope that the polling will be held in a free and fair manner and the EC will be impartial, proactive and responsive," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Elections have also been staggered in other states, including Karnataka, which is ruled by the Congress-Janata Dal Secular combine and the heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the Congress came to power last year.