TMC team to meet ECI, urge for early bypolls

Kolkata: A five-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation will meet the Election Commission of India (ECI) to press its demand for holding early by-elections in seven seats in Bengal.

Trinamool Congress has sought appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra this week.

Trinamool leaders said the Covid positivity rate had gone down to 1 per cent against 33 per cent when the eight-phase of the Assembly election was held. Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee has said over and again that the ECI should hold by-elections immediately. By-elections will be held in seven Assembly constituencies. They are Bhowanipore, Khardah, Shantipur, Dinhata, Shamsergunj, Jangipur and Gosaba. Trinamool Congress has not yet announced the names of the five-member delegation. BJP, however, is trying to delay holding of the bypolls on one pretext or the other. The BJP IT cell has once again come forward with a volley of lies and half truths, Chandrima Bhattacharya, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister said.

Reacting sharply to the tweet of Amit Malviya, BJP IT cell president which stated: "48 per cent of India's adult population is vaccinated with at least one dose. Not so surprisingly, West Bengal is at the bottom of the trunk. UP with a much larger population more than double, has done as well in percentage terms," Bhattacharya said: "How could a person write such incessant lies. The Centre did not supply adequate amount of vaccine despite the request of Mamata Banerjee. Malviya should write the truth and stop circulating lies."