Poll panel to hold all-party meet to ensure Covid-19 norms during Bengal polls

The Election Commission has pointed out that star campaigners and leaders of several parties flouted Covid-19 guidelines issued by it.

Ahead of the fifth phase of polling, the chief electoral officer (CEO) of West Bengal will meet representatives of all parties on Friday following Calcutta High Court's direction to ensure strict implementation of Covid-19 protocol during campaigning for the remaining four phases of the state elections. “The CEO will meet all the 10 recognized political parties on Friday afternoon... The district magistrates have already been directed to ensure that court orders on following Covid-19 protocols are strictly maintained. The DMs have also been asked to organise all-party meetings at their level,” a senior official of the poll panel said earlier.

The poll body has dismissed speculation that the last three phases of the West Bengal assembly elections could be clubbed in view of the surge in the cases of the coronavirus disease in the country. (PTI Photo)

The official said, according to news agency PTI, all political parties in the state have been asked to send only one representative each for the meeting. West Bengal's additional director general of police (law and order) Jag Mohan and health secretary NS Nigam will also be present in the meeting, the official added.

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The court had directed the CEO and district magistrates o ensure that the guidelines are “strictly implemented”, with the aid of the police force and also called for stringent action against those who fail to adhere to the protocols. The court said that the administration may, so far as possible, resort to provisions of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to ensure social distancing. “If the administration finds a person, whether engaged in election campaigning or otherwise, flouting Covid-19 protocols, such a person must be taken to task immediately,” the order said.

The ECI had earlier issued a set of Covid-19 protocols, which were flouted by all political parties. The commission on April 9 pointed out that star campaigners and leaders of several parties campaigning without masks and warned that it will not hesitate in banning events like rallies in case the Covid-19 guidelines issued by it are not followed.

Meanwhile, the poll body on Thursday dismissed speculation that the last three phases of the West Bengal assembly elections could be clubbed in view of the surge in the cases of the coronavirus disease in the country. "(There is) no such plan of clubbing phases," an EC spokesperson in response to queries.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider holding the remaining phases of the West Bengal assembly elections in a single go. "Amid an ongoing pandemic, we firmly opposed @ECISVEEP's decision to conduct West Bengal 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," Banerjee tweeted on Thursday.

There are suggestions that some political parties may raise the issue at an all-party meeting called by the chief electoral officer Aariz Aftab on Friday.

West Bengal on Thursday recorded the highest single-day spike of 6769 Covid-19 cases, pushing the state's tally to 636,885, the health department said. At least 22 people succumbed to the coronavirus disease, raising the death toll in the state to 10,480, the department said in its bulletin.

The fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly Election 2021 will take place on April 17. The counting of vote will be held on May 2.