Along with three ministers contesting for re-election, Mamata Banerjee’s former seat of Bhabanipur is also in the fray in this phase.
Amid a steady spike in Covid cases over the past weeks, West Bengal today votes mid a steady spike in Covid cases over the past weeks. Along with three ministers contesting for re-election, Mamata Banerjee’s former seat of Bhabanipur is also in the fray in this phase.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a last-gasp attack on the opposition BJP, on Sunday evening slammed the centre over its handling of the Covid pandemic, paying particular attention to the crippling oxygen shortage and row over vaccine prices. The TMC supremo also urged people, even those who are Covid-positive, and for whom the Election Commission has made arrangements, to cast their vote.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, shortly after polling began this morning, urged voters to follow all Covid protocols. “The seventh phase of the West Bengal elections takes place today. Urging people to exercise their franchise and follow all COVID-19 related protocols,” PM Modi tweeted.
Campaigning for the seventh phase has been mostly a virtual and low-key affair since the Election Commission imposed curbs in the wake of increasing Covid cases in the state. The curbs included ban on roadshows and rallies, limiting daily campaigning hours and extending the ‘silence period’ from 48 to 72 hours.
After CM Mamata Banerjee opted to stand from Nandigram to take on Suvendu Adhikari, Sovondeb Chattopadhyay, Bengal’s Power Minister, will contest from Bhabanipur – Chief Minister Banerjee’s current seat and the Trinamool’s since 2011.
Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim is seeking a third consecutive term from Kolkata Port. In a seat where minority votes could be key, Hakim faces a tough three-way fight against the BJP’s Awadh Kishore Gupta and the Congress’ Mohammed Mukhtar. Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee and actor Saayoni Ghosh are other big Trinamool whose fortunes will be cast in the EVMs today.
The eighth and final round of polling will be held on Thursday, with the results of this and four other Assembly elections – for Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry – to be declared Sunday, May 2.
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