West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged Election Commission of India to hold bypolls for seven Assembly constituencies in the State without any delay.
“Our request would be to the Election Commission, that already four months are over (since WB Assembly polls) and our COVID situation is totally under control. People have the right to cast their vote and elect members to the assembly… Election Commission must announce by polls immediately and not curb democratic rights of people,” Ms Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister said that the ECI has already sought opinion from political parties and by polls are scheduled in isolated constituencies not in contiguous areas.
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The bypolls are crucial to Ms Banerjee continuing as the Chief Minister. She has lost Nandigram Assembly polls to BJP Suvendu Adhikari with a narrow margin of 1956 votes. Ms Banerjee has to get elected to the State Assembly by the first week of November, within six months of being elected as the Chief Minister.
Ms Banerjee is likely to contest from Bhabanipur Assembly seat the constituency she was elected in 2011 and 2016. The MLA from Bhabanipur has already tendered resignation from the seat.
The constituencies whereby polls are being scheduled because of death of candidates during polls and death of elected MLAs and resignations of elected MLAs. By polls to seven Assembly seats including Bhabanipur are due in the State, Shamsherganj and Suti in Murshidabad, where contesting candidates died before the elections could not be held,. Constituencies like Santipur and Dinhata where the elected BJP MPs ( Jagannath Sarkar and Nisith Pramanik did not take oath ) have also fallen vacant and MLAs of Khardah and Gosaba died after the polls were held.
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Schools to reopen after Pujas
The Chief Minister also added that the schools in the State can reopen after the Durga Puja holidays.
“Reopening of schools will depend on situation. If third wave hits then I cannot help, but otherwise schools to open after Pujas,” she said.