New Delhi: In an unprecedented decision, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered that campaigning for the final round of the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday will halt in West Bengal at 10 p.m. on Thursday. The campaigning would have originally ended at 5 p.m. on Friday — as it would do in the rest of the country which will see voting on Sunday. The announcement follows violence in Kolkata during BJP President Amit Shah’s roadshow on Tuesday.
After Election Commission’s orders, no election campaigning to be held in 9 parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal – Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls.
EC also mentioned that this is probably the first time that ECI has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be last in cases of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful manner. “The Commission is deeply anguished at the vandalism done to the statue of Vidyasagar. It is hoped that the vandals are traced by the state administration”, EC said.
With inputs from IANS and ANI
