New Delhi: Amid rapidly increasing Covid-19 cases in the country, campaigners, political leaders and candidates not observing COVID-19 protocols.
The Election Commission has also flagged instances of star campaigners and political leaders campaigning without masks and warned it will not hesitate to ban rallies if COVID guidelines issued by it last year are breached.
While in West Bengal coronavirus patients increased by 420%, Assam and Tamil Nadu have recorded 532% and 169% increased cases respectively.
Speaking to ETV Bharat regarding this, Senior journalist and political analyst Shekhar Iyer said that as like Bihar elections, if political parties will follow Covid guidelines with all seriousness, then elections can be held during the pandemic also.
"Elections were peacefully ended in Bihar during the pandemic era and in accordance to the previous year's rule, Election Commission should implement the same Covid guidelines this year. The Election Commission had issued guidelines and made arrangements for campaigning, nominations, polling and counting of votes to keep Covid-19 cases from spiralling in Bihar," Iyer said.
"When Tejashwi Yadav was rallying in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi was rallying in Kerala, in Tamil Nadu and in other states, then this question should be raised there also. But why this question is now being raised for the West Bengal elections? Why there is such a huge increase of Covid-19 in Maharashtra as there is no election?" he said.
"If the role model of Bihar elections to be followed, elections will be held peacefully in Bengal. And the Election Commission should consider Bihar as a role model and also conduct elections in West Bengal so that the remaining four phases can be done according to social distancing and following all the Covid-19 protocols," he added.
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