Mamata suspends all poll meetings citing EC order, Covid surge

In the wake of an upsurge in Covid-19 cases across the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced the cancellation of all her pre-scheduled poll meetings in the state.

Kolkata:Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday cancelled his visit to poll-bound West Bengal on Friday for reviewing the prevailing Covid situation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also announced the cancellation of all her pre-scheduled poll meetings in the state.

"In the wake of an upsurge in Covid-19 cases across the country and the ECI order dated April 22, 2021, I am cancelling all my pre-scheduled meetings and we will reach out to the people virtually," Banerjee tweeted.

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Prior to the Chief Minister's announcement, the Prime Minister Narendra had tweeted, "Tomorrow I will be chairing high-level meetings to review the prevailing Covid-19 situation. Due to that, I would not be going to West Bengal."

Modi was supposed to address a political rally in Kolkata on Friday, which will now be held virtually, sources said.

Amid the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in West Bengal and across the country, the Election Commission on Thursday revised the schedule for repolling in Samsherganj and Jangipur constituencies in Murshidabad and fixed May 16 as the polling date.

Read:Mamata rules out lockdown in Bengal, assures vaccination for all above 18 from May 5

Voting in these two seats were postponed after the candidates of the Sanjukta Morcha fell prey to Covid-19. The elections in both these seats were scheduled to be held on April 26 during the seventh phase of polling.

On April 15, the Congress candidate from Samsherganj, Rezaul Haque, died due to the Covid-19, compelling the poll panel to postpone the elections there.

Two days later on April 16, RSP candidate from Jangipur, Pradip Nandi, succumbed to the virus, forcing repolling in the seat.

IANS