Mamata urges EC to hold elections for remaining phases at one go

Kolkata: Worried over the COVID-19 surge, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday urged the Election Commission to think about conducting polls for the remaining assembly seats at one go, while also stressing that her party had opposed the prolonged eight-phase poll schedule.

The TMC supremo, in a tweet, said that such a move should be taken in view of public interest.

"Amid an ongoing pandemic, we firmly opposed @ECISVEEP's decision to conduct WB polls in 8 phases. Now, in view of the huge surge in #COVID19 cases, I urge the ECI to consider holding the remaining phases in ONE go," the CM said.

"This will protect the people from further exposure to #COVID19," she added.

Arrangements for the fifth phase of polls, on April 17, are already nearing completion, an election official said, even as several social media users held debates on whether the poll panel should at least conduct the next three phases of Bengal elections on a single day.

Assembly polls have been held for 135 constituencies so far, and the remaining 159 seats are set go to the polls between April 17 and 29.