Bypoll campaigns: EC seeks opinion from all political parties

KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) wrote to all the political parties seeking opinion on how by-elections campaigns can be conducted, adhering to COVID-19 guidelines.

The political parties have been asked to give their opinion by August 30 on the basis of which the poll panel desires to prepare an exhaustive guideline. The Commission has come out with a number of orders regarding conduct of elections in the wake of COVID-19 that have been uploaded to the website of the Commission time-to-time. The Commission has urged the parties for their views on these guidelines.

Several by-elections and elections to the Legislative Assemblies of five states are due in 2021-22.

In Bengal by-elections are due in seven Assembly seats, including Jangipur and Samsherganj in Murshidabad, Khardah in North 24-Parganas, Bhowanipore in Kolkata, South Dinhata in Cooch Behar, Santipur in Nadia and Gosaba in South 24-Parganas.

"We will adhere to all guidelines related to campaigning which will be brought out by the Commission," TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who is likely to contest from Khardah said.The ruling Trinamool Congress has urged the EC on more than one occasion to announce the dates of by-elections with the COVID situation in the state under control.