Mamata Banerjee has blamed the BJP for the spread of Covid. (FILE)
Highlights
- Bengal is the only state where elections are still due
- The other states which went to polls are now waiting for results
- Election Body has already negated possibility of clubbing remaining phase
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for clubbing the remaining four phases of elections into one day in view of the increasing Covid cases in the state -- a possibility the Election Commission has already negated. Bengal is the only state where elections are still due. The other states which went to polls in this round -- Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala -- and the Union Territory of Puducherry, are now waiting for results.
"Amid an ongoing pandemic, we firmly opposed @ECISVEEP's decision to conduct WB polls in 8 phases. Now, in view of the huge surge in #COVID19 cases, I urge the ECI to consider holding the remaining phases in ONE go. This will protect the people from further exposure to #COVID19," Ms Banerjee tweeted this evening.
Earlier today, the Election Commission said there was no question of clubbing the remaining phases of elections in Bengal, putting an end to speculation on the matter. "No such plan of clubbing phases,"a spokesperson of the Commission said.
Several senior Trinamool leaders have accused the Commission of drawing out the elections over an unprecedented eight phases to favour the BJP. The party has earlier repeatedly accused the poll body of partisanship.
"It is certainly criminal negligence bordering on manslaughter on part of @ECISVEEP to mandate 8 phase election in WB in middle of worst pandemic. Unbelievable that we are being put through this. Infections, deaths rising everyday," tweeted party MP Mahua Moitra.
Going a step further, senior Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien tweeted:
The Chief Minister has blamed the BJP for the spread of Covid in parts of the state.
"Do you know, they have got a whole lot of people into the state. In the name of election campaign, they have got so many outsiders and they have spread the disease here and run away and now they say 'Give us the vote'," she had said at a rally in north Bengal yesterday.
Over the last 24 hours, Bengal logged 6,769 cases, pushing the state's total to 6,30,116. There are 36,981 active cases. Twenty-two people also died, taking the total number of fatalities to 10,480.