Forty-three constituencies of West Bengal will go to the polls on April 22 in the sixth phase of Assembly elections and campaigning for the same has ended. The Election Commission (EC) has extended the silence period from 48 hours to 72 hours for the remaining three phases in the wake of surging COVID cases.

Amid the raging COVID-19 crisis in West Bengal, all major political parties, including Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress-Left Front combine have announced that they would shun mega rallies for the remaining three phases of the poll.

Here are the latest updates of the West Bengal polls:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a video conference at 3:30 PM today

The Election Commission rules out the option of clubbing the remaining phases

"There is no option to club the remaining phases. It is an election in motion. It is about providing a level playing field to all candidates. The commission is committed to free and fair polls. The commission works as per the rule of law. Enough COVID protocol arrangements have been done on the ground by the EC and political parties too."

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Monday mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for suspending his election rallies in West Bengal amid spurting COVID-19 cases, calling it an "alibi" in the face of defeat. The Union law and IT minister also attacked the Mamata Banerjee government, calling it an embodiment of "misrule, corruption and (Muslim) appeasement".

TMC urges Bengal CEO to club last three phases of polls amid COVID-19 crisis

The TMC, which had been seeking a merger of the last three phases of assembly elections, shot off a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab on Tuesday, urging him to consider the party's request amid the steep hike in COVID-19 cases. Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee, during her rallies on Monday, had also implored the Election Commission to re-think its decision to stick to the original poll schedule.

The letter, undersigned by TMC leaders Derek O Brien, Sukendu Sekhar Roy, Pratima Mondol, and Purnendu Bose, highlighted the High Court order that directed the CEO to take urgent measures to avert a "deadly disaster that is staring at our faces" and said that "no prejudice would be caused if the three phases are clubbed into one". It further said that the steps taken by the EC to curb the spread of the disease such as curtailment of campaign hours are "cosmetic" as the critical human resource will continue to remain engaged on election duty.

Mamata writes to Modi, says Centre's vaccine policy appears hollow

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hitting out at the Centre's new vaccine policy and terming it "hollow, without substance and a regrettable show" of evasion of responsibility. The central government on Monday announced that everyone above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from May 1, liberalising the vaccination drive to allow states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers.

"I am informed that the central government has announced the much-delayed universal vaccine policy on 19th April, 2021, which appears to be hollow, without substance and a regrettable show of evasion of responsibility by the central government at a time of crisis," Banerjee said in the letter. She also reminded the prime minister that she had in a letter dated February 24, 2021 requested his intervention to allow West Bengal purchase vaccines directly with state resources and give free vaccination to people of the state.

Mamata says Modi allowed open market sale of vaccines and finishing India stocks by sending gifts to foreign nations

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allowed open market sales of coronavirus vaccines after shipments made by him to foreign shores have depleted stocks in India. Addressing an election meeting here, the Trinamool Congress supremo said the prime minister had exported vaccines to other countries to boost his image while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal have struggled to get doses they required to combat the Covid pandemic.

"Yesterday the PM said the medicine (vaccine) will be available in open market. Where is the open market, where is the availabilty? You have already shipped out the majority of stock to foreign detinations," she alleged. The Central Government had gifted Covid vaccines to a number of countries including neighbouring nation and allowed export to many more including to Brazil and South Africa earlier this year.

Why not same passion to win war against COVID-19 as shown to win polls: Sibal to PM

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday asked why he was not showing the same passion to win the war against coronavirus as shown to win elections. With the country reeling under a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congress has questioned Prime Minister Modi for addressing poll rallies in West Bengal while "ignoring his responsibilities" at the Centre.

"Modiji, you use all your : might, muscle power, lung power, resources to win elections. Why not the same passion to win the war against Coronavirus for: our people?" Sibal said in a tweet. In another tweet, the former Union minister said, "As people die of the pandemic, A citizen to Modiji: Rallies are fine, victories divine, but the battles you are fighting are really not mine!" Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, the BJP on Monday said it has decided against holding any big rally or public meeting, including by Prime Minister Modi and other party leaders, in the ongoing West Bengal assembly poll campaign.

Mamata accuses PM of allowing open market sale of vaccines after depleting stocks through gifts abroad

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allowed open market sales of coronavirus vaccines after shipments made by him to foreign shores have depleted stocks in India. Addressing an election meeting here, the Trinamool Congress supremo said the prime minister had exported vaccines to other countries to boost his image while states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal have struggled to get doses they required to combat the Covid pandemic.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tests positive for #COVID19 with mild symptoms

Abhishek Banerjee in Lalgola, Murshidabad—Lockdown will be imposed in West Bengal after May 2 and we’ll provide free ration to every household.

TMC delegation urges EC once again to club the next phases of polling in view of the COVID-19 situation.

Actress Mahima Choudhary and Amisha Patel will be campaigning for Asansol North MLA candidate Moloy Ghatak from 3 PM.

Rahul Gandhi's decision to keep off Bengal campaign over COVID an "alibi", he has sensed defeat: Prasad

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Monday mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for suspending his election rallies in West Bengal amid spurting COVID-19 cases, calling it an "alibi" in the face of defeat. The Union law and IT minister also attacked the Mamata Banerjee government, calling it an embodiment of "misrule, corruption and (Muslim) appeasement". "It's an alibi as the captain found his ship sinking," Prasad told a press conference while referring to Gandhi's decision to stay away from electioneering in West Bengal due to the second wave of the COVID-19.

Addressing an election rally earlier on Monday, TMC chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urged the Election Commission to reconsider its decision to stick to the original poll schedule of eight phases. She stressed that wrapping up the last three phases of polls on a single day or at the most in two days will check the spread of the pandemic to some extent. Banerjee declared that henceforth she will not hold any mega poll rally in the city and her public meetings in other parts of the state will be smaller compared to her

previous ones.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien tweeted, "Mamata Banerjee will NOT campaign in Kolkata anymore. Only one 'symbolic' meeting on the last day of campaigning in the city on April 26." O'Brien also posted on the microblogging site that the CM "slashes time for all her election rallies in all

districts. Restricted to just 30 minutes."

The BJP, which has been holding practically a poll blitzkrieg, said in a statement that it will not hold any big public meetings anymore to campaign in the state. The statement said that all its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address small public meetings with a maximum of 500 people. BJP said it has decided to stop big public events in West Bengal to break the chain of corona infection.

The decisions by the TMC supremo and the BJP was preceded by a similar stand by CPI-M. The party had declared four days ago that it is against holding big rallies anymore and emphasised on the door-to-door campaign, street corner meetings and use of social media for canvassing.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also announced to suspend all his election rallies in West Bengal.

(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)

First Published:Apr 20, 2021 9:20 AM IST