Guwahati: The Election Commission’s decision to hold the Assam assembly polls in a single phase has triggered sharp political reactions, with BJP backing the move and opposition parties alleging it gives the ruling party an advantage.BJP state media in-charge Rupam Goswami said the announcement showed the commission’s ability to conduct the election efficiently in one phase instead of several. Rejecting opposition allegations that the schedule favours BJP, Goswami said all parties would get the same amount of time to campaign.“How does it help BJP and not help them? It is illogical. The thing is mental preparation. BJP remains ready for polls 24×7. Why don’t they stay ready?” he said.Congress criticised the short campaign period and raised security concerns. Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia said, “Very less time has been given by the ECI. There are security concerns as well in Assam. Since BJP could not fulfill the promises and assurances made in the 2021 polls, the elections are being held in very short notification time and in a single phase.”Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi alleged that the commission acted under pressure from the BJP leadership to put opposition parties at a disadvantage.“We saw assembly elections were held in Assam in two or three phases till the last elections. Using helicopters for campaigns for the small political parties is not possible. Is it possible to campaign across 126 assembly constituencies in just 21 days, without using helicopters?” he said.Calling the single-phase schedule an attempt “to satisfy and help BJP”, Gogoi said, “I demand the ECI to withdraw the present notification and renounce the poll notification to organize the polls in three phases and give sufficient time.”Congress ally Assam Jatiya Parishad also attacked the schedule, saying the compressed election process would benefit the ruling party.AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi said the three-week gap between nomination filing and polling gave BJP a clear edge.“The ruling party has abundant financial resources and control over the govt machinery, enabling it to conduct widespread election campaigns across the state, including the use of helicopters to travel extensively. Opposition parties, however, do not enjoy such resources and will face serious difficulties in organizing their campaigns within such a limited time frame,” he said.
