Tag: West Bengal 2021

  • TMC writes to EC over ‘inadequacies’ in direction for counting of votes on May 2

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission (EC) regarding ‘inadequacies’ in its direction for counting of votes on May 2, stating that no provision has been made for submission of negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test by polling officers and CAPF personnel.

    In its letter written to the EC, listing the inadequacies in its directions dated April 28, 2021, said, “The Directions mandate submission of negative test report of COVID-19 of election agent, counting agent and/or candidate prior to such election agent, counting agent and/or candidate being permitted to enter the counting hall. However, surprisingly no such provision has been made for submission of negative test report of COVID-19 by polling officers present in the counting halls.”

    Highlighting that 23,000 to 24,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel will be deployed outside the counting hall on May 2, 2021, the TMC stated there is an absence of any provision in the directions or use of PPE kits and submission of negative test report of COVID-19 by such CAPF personnel thereby endangering their health and life.

    “ECI seems to be oblivious to the safety of the life and health concerns of the CAPF personnel. Lastly, the directions only provide that if required, postal ballot may be counted in a separate hall under the supervision of the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer. However, it is of utmost importance that the counting of votes cast by postal ballot should be completed before the counting of votes cast on the EVM machine,” said the TMC in the letter.

    It further stated that due to the large number of votes cast by postal ballot in view of the ongoing pandemic, the postal ballot counting will require additional time and therefore the same should be counted before counting of votes on the EVM machine.

    “In the circumstances, we call upon you to forthwith address the aforesaid lacunae/Inadequacies in the Directions and issue appropriate additional directions to address the same,” the letter concluded.

    West Bengal is undergoing an eight-phased Assembly election. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

  • Bengal Congress to hold meeting regarding seat-sharing, poll preparedness

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) on Monday will hold a meeting with its district wings ahead of the talks with the Left parties regarding the seat-sharing in the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

    The meeting will be chaired by the president of WBPCC, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

    According to the sources, the meeting is being held to discuss the on-going preparations of the upcoming Assembly elections, including the seat-sharing with the Left parties.

    Congress and Left parties will soon decide on the seat-sharing through a couple of meetings scheduled next week.

    Earlier, the Congress party and the Left Front alliance held two rounds of meetings regarding the seat-sharing agreements for 193 of the total 294 seats in Assembly elections scheduled this year.

    In the 2016 Assembly polls, the Left parties and Congress came together and bagged 76 seats whereas Trinamool Congress then bagged 211 seats.

    The state of West Bengal is gearing up for the upcoming Assembly elections for 294 seats this year. (ANI)