E-Paper
EC sets the ball rolling for Bengal polls in 2021; calls all-party meeting
With the Bihar elections coming to an end by the end of this week, the ECI is now gradually shifting its focus towards Bengal where assembly polls are expected in the next few months.
The Election Commission of India has called an all-party meeting in West Bengal on Monday to set the ball rolling for the crucial 2021 assembly polls in the state.
The chief electoral officer of West Bengal is expected to hold another meeting with district officials on the next day.
“There are chances that representatives of the ECI from Delhi will also be present in the virtual meeting with district officials on November 10. The main objective is to take stock and assess the poll preparedness in the times of pandemic,” said a senior official.
With the Bihar elections coming to an end by the end of this week, the ECI is now gradually shifting its focus towards Bengal where assembly polls are expected in the next few months.
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“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 elections,” said an official of the poll panel.
The official said that the maximum number of voters in a booth would be capped keeping in mind the Covid-19 situation and steps to restructure booths were already underway.
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 now eyeing the West Bengal assembly.
