Amig raging COVID-19 pandemic, voting for the last phase of West Bengal Assembly elections began at 7 in the morning on Thursday.
Polling is underway in a total of 35 constituencies spread across 4 districts of West Bengal – Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, and North Kolkata.
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Fate of 285 candidates will be decided in the last phase of Assembly elections underway in West Bengal.
Polling in the last phase of West Bengal Assembly elections is underway amid unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases in the State and the Country as a whole.
West Bengal, on Wednesday, logged 17,207 fresh COVID-19 cases. It is the highest-single day spike recorded so far in the State.
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Moreover, 77 COVID-19 related deaths were also recorded in West Bengal on Wednesday, which has pushed the State’s death toll up to 11,159.
Also read: 165 new COVID-19 cases detected in Arunachal Pradesh
Over 84 lakh people in these 35 constituencies spread across 4 districts are eligible to exercise their franchise in the last phase of elections.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the voters to comply with COVID-19 protocols while taking part in the voting process.
PM Modi said: “Last phase of the 2021 West Bengal elections takes place today. In line with the Covid-19 protocols, I call upon people to cast their vote and enrich the festival of democracy.”
Last phase of the 2021 West Bengal elections takes place today. In line with the COVID-19 protocols, I call upon people to cast their vote and enrich the festival of democracy.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2021
Notably, the Madras High Court, while speaking on the rise in COVID-19 cases and related deaths, recently stated that the Election Commission is “the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today” and murder charges should probably be imposed on the poll watchdog.
Meanwhile, the EC has banned victory rallies on May 2 (results day) and made it mandatory for all contesting candidates and their polling agents to either test negative for COVID-19 or show proof of having received both doses of vaccines to enter the counting centres.