KOLKATA: The Election Commission, which is tasked with peaceful polling amid soaring mercury in West Bengal, is facing another challenge -- rising Covid cases.
The virus claimed the life of a Congress candidate on Thursday and infected two other contestants.
Congress candidate from Samserganj, Murshidabad, Rezaul Haque died in a private healthcare unit in Kolkata on Thursday after he rested positive for Covid-19. Haque was admitted to a private hospital with acute respiratory problems.
Left Front’s ally RSP candidate from Jangipur, Murshidabad, Pradip Nandi, and TMC candidate from Goalpokhar, North Dinajpur, Golam Rabbani tested positive for Covid. Rabbani was admitted to a hospital and Nandi is in home quarantine.
On Wednesday, West Bengal recorded the highest single-day spike of 5,892 cases and 24 deaths. In Kolkata, 1,601 new cases and seven deaths were reported in 24 hours.
The EC convened an all-party meeting on Friday to discuss how poll campaignings should be conducted in the wake of the pandemic. The CPI(M) already announced that it would not organise large rallies and roadshows and asked its workers to carry out the door-to-door campaigns and use social media platforms to reach out to the electorates.
State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he would welcome Election Commission’s decision whatever it would be. "Life is more valuable than election."
The ruling Trinamool Congress demanded to conduct the last three phases of the election in one go.
Responding to experts, who have been blaming large political rallies for the sudden spurt in positive cases in the state, the CPI(M) decided to restrict its poll campaign to door-to-door.
"We have decided that we will not hold large rallies. We will campaign door-to-door and through social media. Door-to-door and street corners will be held following proper Codid protocols," said Mohammad Selim, CPI(M)’s politburo member.
The announcement means the CPI(M) would not hold large rallies for the sixth, seventh and eighth phases of the polls. The campaign for the fifth phase of the polls, scheduled for April 17, came to end on Wednesday as the Election Commission extended the silence period before the polls to 72 hours (from 48 hours) after the Cooch Behar firing in which four persons were gunned down by central troops.