Bengal polls 2021
COVID second wave: ECI bars all roadshows, vehicle rallies for last two phases of Bengal polls
New Delhi/IBNS: In the wake of rapidly rising cases of Covid-19, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday slapped a ban on holding any kind of roadshow and cycle/bike/vehicle rally for the last two phases of West Bengal assembly elections with effect from 7 pm. tonight, officials said.
"No roadshow/pad-yatra and no cycle/bike/vehicle rally shall be permissible," an ECI order read.
"Permission for roadshow, cycle/bike/vehicle rally, if granted already, stands withdrawn," it added.
The poll body also directed that no public meeting beyond the limit of 500 people will be allowed.
"No public meeting beyond the limit of 500 persons at a place subject to availability of adequate space with social distancing, adhering to Covid-19 safety norms, shall be permissible," ECI secretary Rakesh Kumar clarified in the order.
To curb the spread of novel coronavirus, the Election Commission has already banned all rallies, public meetings and street plays between 7 pm and 10 am everyday and extended the 'silence period' to 72 hours.
Following the ECI order, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled all her pre-scheduled meetings for the remaining two phases of the poll.
In a tweet, she wrote: "In the wake of upsurge in #COVID19 cases across the country and the ECI Order dated 22nd April, 2021, I am cancelling all my prescheduled meetings and we will reach out to the people virtually. We will be sharing the updated schedule of the virtual meetings shortly."
In the wake of upsurge in #COVID19 cases across the country and the ECI Order dated 22nd April, 2021, I am cancelling all my prescheduled meetings and we will reach out to the people virtually.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) April 22, 2021
We will be sharing the updated schedule of the virtual meetings shortly.
An eight-phase assembly election is underway in West Bengal at a time when India is reporting more than 3 lakh cases everyday and the state itself registering over 10,000 cases daily.
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