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‘Waiting for nod from PM’: Mamata on delay in dates for bypolls in Bengal
Earlier elections in two seats in Murshidabad were cancelled when the candidates died of Covid-19 in April. Later, 2 BJP MPs Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar who won the assembly polls resigned. Two other TMC legislators died after contracting Covid-19 , while MLA from Bhawanipore, Sovan Deb Chatterjee, resigned so that Banerjee could contest from the seat.
The Election Commission of India is waiting for the Prime Minister’s instructions to hold by-elections in seven assembly seats in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said taking a swipe at the BJP-led Union government on multiple fronts on Wednesday.
“I got to know that when the Prime Minister gives instructions, only then they (ECI) will announce the dates for by-polls. If it is so, then I would request the Prime Minister to give the nod,” said Banerjee. By-polls in at least seven assembly constituencies are pending including Bhawanipore in south Kolkata from where the chief minister is expected to contest.
Earlier elections in two seats in Murshidabad were cancelled when the candidates died of Covid-19 in April. Later, two BJP MPs Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar who won the assembly polls resigned. Two other TMC legislators died after contracting the Covid-19 infection, while TMC MLA from Bhawanipore, Sovan Deb Chatterjee, resigned so that Banerjee could contest from the seat in the by-polls.
“By-elections should be held as early as possible. The Covid-19 situation is under control. If the third wave comes then you can’t do anything. A week’s time for the election campaigning would be enough,” she added.
Senior officials in the ECI’s office in Kolkata refused to comment on the chief minister’s statements.
The daily count of Covid-19 cases had shot up from around 200 on February 26, when the eight-phase elections were announced by the poll panel to more than 27,000 on April 29 when the elections ended. Health experts linked the surge in infections to political rallies that violated all Covid-19 protocol.
“I think BJP is a big disease for everybody. They were only interested in Bengal polls. Even now they want to divide Bengal. They did nothing for six to eight months and because of them we had the second wave. Even when the second wave came they did little to vaccinate citizens equally. Two weeks were lost after PM’s announcement of giving free vaccines,” she added.
She also said that the Centre should immediately take steps so that Covaxin gets recognition from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Students, who took Covaxin from private hospitals, are facing a very serious problem while going abroad to study. The Prime Minister had asked people to take this vaccine,” the chief minister added.
The chief minister further said that the state government would give full support to former chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, against whom the Centre has initiated disciplinary proceedings for missing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting in the aftermath of Cyclone Yaas. Bandopadhyay has been given a month’s time to respond.
“Our government will give full support to him. We will fight the battle. They (BJP-led Union government) are trying to show their might like a selfish giant. But law will take its own course. The officer (Bandyopadhyay) will take his own decisions and we will support him all out,” the chief minister said, while accusing the centre of behaving in an irresponsible manner.
The BJP, on the other hand suggested that bypolls should be held in West Bengal only when the law and order situation in the state improved. “The post-poll violence suggests why there was a need to conduct the assembly elections in eight phases. Had it been conducted in one-phase, the death toll would have been eight-fold. The TMC is trying to score when the field is clear. BJP workers are being attacked. They are yet to return to their houses. The TMC is not allowing them to take relief material after Cyclone Yaas. We will move the EC and we hope that our voice will be heard. Elections should only be held when there is peace,” said Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesperson.
