Bengal: EC to meet all parties over Covid-19 situation amid ongoing polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has called the meeting which will be attended by one representative from each party.

The assembly elections, which has turned out to be a fierce battle between two popular politicians Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, are still set to go through the remaining four of eight phases between Apr 17 and 29.

Mamata, who also heads the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), has proposed the clubbing of the last three phases of elections.

She tweeted on Thursday evening, "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."

The poll body on Thursday, however, quashed the speculations over the clubbing of the remaining phases stating the conduction of the elections in such a matter was quite impossible.

At a time masks and social distancing are a rare picture in the political rallies which are attended by lakhs of people, the Left, which is trying to regain its lost ground, has decided not to hold any gathering or public meeting to avoid the spreading of the deadly virus, which has kept the country on an edge once again.

Modi's BJP, which is seeking to win once-a-Left citadel West Bengal for the first time in history, has urged people to maintain social distancing and wear masks while coming to the rallies.

The state's tally of new Coronavirus cases raced close to 7,000 on Thursday at a time over 150 of 294 seats in West Bengal are yet to be polled, raising concerns among the common people.