As West Bengal keeps reporting a record quantity of news situations each day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have decided to address their rallies practically. Banerjee yesterday cancelled all pre-scheduled poll meetings immediately after the Election Commission banned roadshows and car rallies for the remaining phases of the ongoing assembly polls in the state. The CM stated she will address persons practically. “In the wake of upsurge in #COVID-19 cases across the country and the ECI order dated 22nd April, 2021, I am cancelling all my pre-scheduled meetings and we will reach out to the people virtually,” Banerjee tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced to cancel his West Bengal pay a visit to scheduled today as he will be chairing higher-level meetings in New Delhi to overview the prevailing COVID-19 scenario. The prime minister was scheduled to address 4 public meetings across 4 districts and 56 assembly constituencies. After the PM announced to cancel his pay a visit to, the party’s West Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh stated that they requested him to give one address via a virtual medium to which he agreed. The BJP informed that PM Modi will be addressing voters of Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Kolkata, via a virtual medium at 5 pm today.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury have currently withdrawn from the campaigning. While Rahul Gandhi has tested COVID-19 positive, Yechury is in property isolation.
Expressing anguish that COVID-associated security protocols have been becoming flouted in West Bengal through campaigning, the Election Commission yesterday placed an instant ban on roadshows, ‘pad yatras’ and car rallies in the state and restricted the quantity of persons in public meetings to 500. Using its constitutional powers, the commission issued an order putting fresh restrictions on physical campaigning in the state exactly where two more phases of elections are due on April 26 and 29.
In a letter addressed to all recognised parties, the commission referred to the directions of the Calcutta High Court which stated that it would be open for the EC and the state chief electoral officer to take requisite actions and also to assure prosperous implementation of COVID protocols by requiring strict compliance of prescribed recommendations and orders by all political parties, candidates and all other concerned with the poll method.