BHUBANESWAR: As the Covid-19 situation in the State continued to be grim, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday demanded that by-election to the Pipili Assembly constituency should be postponed till the pandemic is brought under control.
Since health experts have predicted that Covid-19 second wave will peak around the second week of May in Odisha, conducting by-poll during this period will be like playing with the lives of people, working president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Pradeep Majhi told mediapersons here.
A delegation of Congress leaders led by Majhi and comprising former minister Bijaylaxmi Sahu submitted a memorandum to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) SK Lohani later.
“When the Covid situation in Odisha continues to be grim with 10 deaths reported during the last 24 hours, why is the Election Commission determined to conduct the bypoll,” Majhi asked and demanded that the by-poll be postponed till the pandemic is brought under control.
He said that it is not possible to campaign in the constituency as people of Pipili and Delang blocks are not allowing entry of any political parties in their areas.
“In such a situation, how can the bypoll be held,” he asked. Majhi requested the ruling BJD and the BJP also to demand postponement of the bypoll till the situation improved.
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said that as the Election Commission, a statutory body, has decided to conduct the election, the State government and the BJD have nothing to say in this regard.
He said that as per the directive of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the BJD will not campaign in Pipili.
Instead, five workers including the party candidate Rudra Pratap Maharathy have been allowed to conduct a door-to-door campaign, he said.