NEW DELHI: Rejecting rumours that the remaining phases of elections in West Bengal would be clubbed in view of the rising Covid cases, the Election Commission said on Thursday that there is no such plan.
Later in the day, Bengal CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee urged the Election Commission to consider conducting the remain polls at one go. “In view of the huge surge in #COVID19 cases, I urge the ECI to consider holding the remaining phases in ONE go,” she tweeted.
Ex-chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi said while the campaign period is fixed at 14 days, extending by a few days is possible. “Clubbing with the last phase is doable,” he said. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer has called an all-party meeting on Friday to ensure adherence to the Covid-19 guidelines for the remaining phases of polls.