Left prefers two phase poll in West Bengal

Without opposing the EC's decision to hold a five-phased general election, Left parties on Monday said some parties would find it difficult to sustain their campaigns in certain states and expressed the view that a two-phase election in West Bengal would have been better.
    
"It would have been better if the elections were less spread out than what has been declared," Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Sitaram Yechury told media-persons in New Delhi.
    
In the same vein, CPI national secretary D Raja said, "Some parties may feel it difficult to sustain campaign incertain states" like Tamil Nadu where campaigning would have to be carried out till before the polling on May 13.
    
However, without opposing the poll schedule, both leaders said all efforts should be made by the Election Commission
to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election.
    
"It would have been better if Bengal had a two-phased election instead of a three-phased one. But since they have
decided in their wisdom, keeping in view the security and staff deployment considerations, we will have to go with it,"

Yechury said, adding "it is better than the five-phased one held in Bengal during the last assembly elections."
    
His party colleague Nilotpal Basu said the state was "singled out" by the EC at that time which was then strongly
opposed by the Left parties.