Kolkata: At a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress is urging the Election Commission to hold bypolls immediately for the seven seats, the BJP on Wednesday had sent a letter to its Central leaders urging them not to hold bypolls immediately in West Bengal.
According to BJP sources citing a total eight points the state BJP asked its central leaders to put a hold on bypolls.
“The covid situation is still there in West Bengal for which the Chief Minister is not running local trains and the buses are also plying with minimum passengers. The BJP is not allowed to take out rallies and Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari and Debasree Chowdhury were arrested in a party program citing pandemic act. The third wave is due in October which is incidentally the month of Durga Puja for which the bypoll should not take place now,” said the sources.
The sources also added that citing Covid the TMC government is not holding 122 Municipal elections and also that the TMC had formed a government with absolute majority and bypoll in seven seats won’t make any difference to the government.
Notably, the Election Commission of India a few weeks back had asked all the political parties to send their comment on holding polls and bypolls and the last date of reply is August 31.
Meanwhile, the TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that they had sent a letter to ECI urging immediate bypolls as the situation is conducive to hold the poll.
The TMC Rajya Sabha MP also added that this week a delegation of five TMC MP’s will meet ECI this week.
“In October there is Durga Puja and people will be busy merrymaking for which we want the poll before the festivals,” said Sukhendu.
West Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh claimed that just to remain the Chief Minister of the state Mamata Banerjee is urging for the bypoll.
“Lockdown like restrictions are still there in West Bengal and just to remain Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is asking to hold a bypoll now. During the assembly poll Mamata Banerjee only went against eight phases of poll and even in bypoll people will have to step out of their house which will adversely affect the health of people. BJP is still having its previous stance on bypoll,” said Dilip hinting towards holding on bypolls.
Claiming that BJP is ‘jealous of TMC’s victory’, TMC MP Saugata Roy said that the TMC will remain firm on their claims on holding polls at the earliest.
