The TMC has no problem with however many phases the polls are conducted, the party's spokespersons Derek O'Brien and Bratya Basu said on Friday before the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s scheduled press conference in New Delhi to announce the date of the Assembly elections.
"We have no problem if it is conducted in seven phases or in nine," said Basu, "We have studied well over the past 10 years. We have done our preparations well. We have no concern about the number of phases. It might be a concern for the BJP because their government (at the Centre), over the past six years, did not do its work properly. They are like ill-prepared students."
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Earlier, the Opposition parties in Bengal, including the BJP, the Left and the Congress, had demanded before the ECI that the Bengal elections be held in at least seven phases, and more if possible.
The 2016 Assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases. The state has a long history of political violence, especially ahead of and during the elections.
This year, central paramilitary forces have already arrived in the state and have started conducting root marches in areas known to be prone to political violence.
Bengal has 294 Assembly seats in 23 districts.
