Poll schedule: Not a level playing field

The Election Commission has announced a schedule extending over a month for the Assembly elections in five states, without giving due consideration to the negative and undesirable consequences of having such a long poll process. While the polling in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa will be held on a single day, it will be held on two days in Manipur and in seven phases in UP. Voters who vote on the first day -- on February 10 -- will have to wait a whole month to know the results. For the voters in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa, the waiting period is almost three weeks because of the extended schedule in other states. It is unfair and unnecessary to stretch the poll process and the campaign for such a long period. Governments stand still because of the campaign and the code of conduct, and the people are denied the right to a normal and functioning government for a long period for no fault of theirs.

The voting in UP will be held on seven days over a month, from February 10 to March 7. There is no convincing need or rationale for this. A former Chief Election Commissioner, M S Gill, has said that during his tenure from 1996 to 2001, elections in UP were held in three phases. The logistics and facilities for the conduct of elections have improved so much since then that there may not be the need for even a three-phase schedule now. Elections in the country, just as in other countries, used to be held only on one day. It was because of the problem of booth capturing and other irregularities that they came to be held on more than one day. But there is no need for this now when there is no possibility of such malpractices as polling and all related activities are electronic.

A prolonged campaign is especially hazardous during the pandemic period. The many phases of polling in West Bengal last year contributed to the aggravation of the second wave. An extended campaign will aid the spread of the disease even if the emphasis is on virtual campaigning. A long campaign period will also tire out the candidates, party workers and others and increase the cost of electioneering.

This will help bigger and more resourceful parties and hurt smaller parties, especially as the BJP has tended to garner most of the anonymous donations under the Electoral Bonds scheme, running into thousands of crores. It is the duty of Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and his two fellow Election Commissioners to provide a level playing field to all parties and to ensure that no party or candidate gets an unfair advantage. A poll schedule that spans over a month is bad in many ways, and is an avoidable health risk in these times.

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