Kolkotta, Mar 16 (Reporter)The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), in West Bengal, criticised the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to hold the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state over seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The TMC described the decision of the ECI as against the spirit of federalism in the country. During the ECI's recent visit to West Bengal, the TMC had demanded that the elections be held in one or two phases to encourage voter turnout. West Bengal Minister of State for Health and Family and TMC spokesperson Chandrima Bhattacharya said the multiple-phase election process had led to a decrease in the voter turnout percentage in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She added that the state voters would have preferred a one or two-phase election process for better turnout. She said " We think one or two phases would have been better for the state voters to participate in large numbers," . The ECI announced that the polling for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal would be held on April 19, April 26, May 4, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, and the counting of votes will be done on June 4. The opposition parties, including the BJP, had demanded a seven-phase election process, citing alleged violence during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 assembly elections. TMC also cited that the elections in many states which have over 30 Lok Sabha constituencies are having one or two-phase elections. Bhattacharya also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "guarantee," saying that he was acting like a cricket captain selecting umpires (ECI) and deciding the outcome of the play...////...