E-Paper
West Bengal Election Phase-5: PM Modi urges voters to turn up in large numbers
Amid a steep spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, West Bengal will vote in the fifth phase of elections, held on forty-five seats, including 21 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), across six districts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to people to turn up in large numbers and especially urged the first-time voters to exercise their franchise as voting began in the fifth phase of the West Bengal assembly elections. "Urging all those voting in today’s fifth phase of the West Bengal elections to vote in large numbers. First time voters in particular should exercise their franchise," PM Modi tweeted.
Click here for full election coverage
The Prime Minister also asked voters in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Telangana to vote in record numbers and 'strengthen the festival of democracy' as by-polls began for several seats in these states. "There are by-polls taking place in different parts of the country. I urge voters in the seats polling today to vote in record numbers and strengthen the festival of democracy," he said in another tweet.
Amid a steep spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases, West Bengal will vote in the fifth phase of elections being held on forty-five seats, including 21 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), across six districts. Security arrangements have been made and the Election Commission of India has instructed officials on duty to ensure Covid-19 guidelines are followed.
While Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee aims to retain power for her third consecutive term, the Bharatiya Janata Party is fighting to establish rule in the state for the first time.
Out of the state’s 294 seats, the TMC is contesting 291. The three seats it has left to the two factions of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will go to vote on Saturday.
Voters have been urged to adhere to safety norms such as wearing masks, following social distancing and sanitising their hands in view of the virus. As many as 6910 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in West Bengal on Friday, taking the state’s tally to 643,795. The death toll in the state went up to 10,506 after 26 people succumbed to the viral disease on Friday.
