West Bengal Polls: EC Tightens Covid Norms; No Rallies, Public Meet From 7 PM To 10 AM

As per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission, the candidates and political parties shall ensure absolute and repeat absolute adherence to Covid-19 guidelines in letter and spirit.

(Image: PTI)

West Bengal Elections 2021: The Election Commission on Friday curtailed the timing of the election campaign up to 7 pm in West Bengal against the backdrop of the surge in Covid-19 cases.

The poll body also extended the silence period from 48 hours to 72 hours in each of the remaining three phases in West Bengal.

As per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission, the candidates and political parties shall ensure absolute and repeat absolute adherence to Covid-19 guidelines in letter and spirit.

Violations, if any, shall be sternly dealt with and action, including criminal action, taken as per extant legal framework, the poll body added.

The Election Commission said it shall be the responsibility of the organisers of public meetings and rallies etc. to provide masks and sanitisers to every person attending these meetings and rallies at their cost, which shall be added and counted within limits of prescribed expenditure.

The poll body further said the star campaigners/political leaders/candidates/aspiring policymakers shall demonstrate by their personal example and nudge all supporters at the beginning of campaigning to wear masks, use sanitisers and maintain social distance besides putting in place such crowd control measures as necessary.

The Election Commission’s announcement comes ahead of polling for the fifth phase on Saturday.

45 constituencies across six districts will go for polls in the fifth phase. One seat at Kalimpong, five seats at Darjeeling and seven seats in Jalpaiguri district will go to polls in this phase. The maximum 16 seats are in the districts of North 24 Parganas. The polling will start at 7 a.m. and conclude at 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Over 78 percent voter turnout was recorded in the fourth phase. West Bengal is voting in eight phases this time. The results will be declared on May 2.