E-Paper
EC to hold all-party meeting today for 2021 Bengal assembly election
An Election Commission official said that the Covid-19 pandemic will not come in the way of holding elections.
The Election Commission of India will meet representatives of all political parties in West Bengal on Monday through video conferencing to set the ball rolling for the 2021 assembly election in the state, a poll panel official said.
“The meeting has been called primarily to discuss poll preparations in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. After the Bihar elections it is clear that the pandemic won’t come in the way of holding elections. Precautionary measures need to be adopted to prevent the spread,” the official said.
The chief electoral officer of West Bengal is also expected to hold another meeting with district officials soon, officials said.
“There are chances that representatives of the ECI from Delhi will also be present in the virtual meeting with district officials. The main objective is to take stock and assess the poll preparedness in the times of pandemic,” said a senior official.
With the Durga Puja over, the political parties have also entered into election mode. Union home minister Amit Shah had come on a two-day visit to the state to take stock of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s organisational preparedness in the state.
While the ruling Trinamool Congress, led by its supremo Mamata Banerjee, would be fighting for its third term, the BJP, which has made impressive gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls clinching 18 of the 42 seats, is looking to wrest power in the assembly election.
The Election Commission is expected to publish the integrated draft electoral roll on November 18, while the final electoral roll would be published in January 2021.
“Groundwork is going on. We now have a model (Bihar) in front of us and the experiences we gather in Bihar will help us in holding the polls in Bengal. Pandemic will be a big challenge this year apart from the other challenges of holding a free and fair election,” said an EC official.
