Former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy has pitched for single-phase elections and substantially curtailing public campaigning time in future polls. He said public and road rallies during elections cannot be banned but the Election Commission of India (ECI) can seriously consider substantially curtailing the time and the number of days for holding such meetings as there are now alternative methods of campaigning such as digital and social media. According to him, holding of multi-phase elections had been justified on the ground that there would be less violence and it s easy to control law and order situation. (But) the (West) Bengal experience the ongoing Assembly elections in the State are spread over eight phases has taught us that even multi-phase elections do not prevent violence, hatred and personal attacks Krishnamurthy told PTI on Tuesday.
Campaigning for the eighth and final phase of polling for 35 assembly constituencies in West Bengal, scheduled to be held on April 29, ended at 6.30 p m on Monday. A total 84,77,728 voters 43,55,835 male, 41,21,735 women and 158 of the third gender are eligible to decide the fate of 283 candidates in Thursday s polling which will be held in six constituencies of Malda, 11 in Murshidabad, seven in Kolkata North and 11 in Birbhum, Election Commission sources said. The polling will be held between 7AM to 6.30PM in 11,860 polling stations, they said. While 11 candidates each have been fielded by Trinamool Congress, BSP and BJP, CPI(M) is contesting in four seats, Congress in three, AIFB in 2 and RSP (1), the EC sources said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday demanded withdrawal of central forces in the next phase of polling in a bid to contain Covid spread in the state, while welcoming Madras High Courts observations that the Election Commission could not avoid blame for the spread of pandemic. She also accused the prime minister of insensitivity, alleging while mass pyres were lit at crematoriums, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busy delivering speeches. I welcome the Madras High Court order, which clearly said the EC cannot escape its responsibility. Both Prime Minister Modi and EC are responsible for the (current) situation (of Covid spreading in the state), Banerjee alleged at a workers meeting in North Kolkata where party candidates and workers were present.
Read more about PM Modi calls off WB campaign visit, to address voters virtually on Friday on Business Standard. Modi will be chairing high-level meetings here to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation
The TMC, which had been seeking a merger of the last three phases of assembly elections, shot off a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab on Tuesday, urging him to consider the party s request amid the steep hike in COVID-19 cases. Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee, during her rallies on Monday, had also implored the Election Commission to re-think its decision to stick to the original poll schedule. The letter, undersigned by TMC leaders Derek O Brien, Sukendu Sekhar Roy, Pratima Mondol, and Purnendu Bose, highlighted the High Court order that directed the CEO to take urgent measures to avert a deadly disaster that is staring at our faces and said that no prejudice would be caused if the three phases are clubbed into one .