Mamata urges EC to hold remaining poll phases in one go to 'reduce COVID exposure'

Inspite of the Election Commission refuting 'clubbing poll phases', Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, urged the apex poll body to conduct the remaining Bengal election phases in one go. The West Bengal CM claims that this will protect the people from further exposure to COVID-19. Banerjee has already claimed that PM Modi and Amit Shah were responsible fro 'spreading COVID in Bengal'. The districts remaining to go to polls in the 6th phase onwards are Trinamool bastions, including Mamata's own hometurf - Bhowanipore.

Mamata: 'Conduct polls in one go'

EC calls all-party meeting

The West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has called an all-party meeting on April 16 to ensure adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines mandated by the Election Commission for the remaining phases of the West Bengal polls. Reportedly, all political parties in the state have been asked to send only one representative each for the meeting which is likely to witness discussion related to campaigning. Moreover, ECI rejected the speculation of clubbing the 6th, 7th and 8th phases of the WB Assembly election. At present, there are 32,621 active novel coronavirus cases in West Bengal while 5,87,037 patients have been discharged besides 10,458 fatalities.

Bengal rallies flout COVID norms

With BJP, Trinamool and the Congress-Left alliance entangled in battle for Bengal, top leaders like PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Choudhury are holding massive rallies and roadshows across the state. Visuals shared by these leaders show massive crowds flouting social distancing guidelines, not wearing masks, cheering as the nation battles a second COVID-19 wave. With experts expressing concern over the lack of any social distancing in these rallies, many have criticised these politicians for sending the wrong message amid a pandemic.

The Bengal polls have seen several violent clashes - most recent in Sitalkuchi where four locals were killed by CISF firing when a mob tried to gherao a polling station and attack officials. Several other sporadic incidents of violence have been seen. The voter turnout for the seats that went to the polls in the first, second, third and fourth phases was 84.63 per cent, 86.11 per cent, 84.61 per cent and 79.90 per cent respectively. The polling for the remaining phases will take place on April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. Meanwhile, the election results will be declared on May 2.