Days after testing positive for COVID-19, TMC's Khardaha candidate Kajal Sinha has passed away.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to inform about the same.
"Very, very sad. Shocked. Kajal Sinha, our candidate from Khardaha, succumbed to Covid. He dedicated his life to serving people & just fought a tireless campaign. He was a long-serving committed member of @AITCofficial. We will miss him. My condolences to his family & his admirers," Mamata Banerjee wrote on Twitter.
West Bengal on Saturday registered the highest single-day spike of 14,281 COVID-19 cases pushing the tally to 7,28,061, the bulletin released by the state health department said.
The death toll rose to 10,884 as 59 more people succumbed to the disease.
In the last 24 hours, 7,584 recoveries were recorded in the state.
The number of actives cases currently is 81,375.
Altogether 55,060 samples were tested for coronavirus in West Bengal since Friday.
Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reviewed COVID-safety preparedness for the remaining two phases of the state assembly polls at a meeting with senior West Bengal officers on Saturday.
West Bengal Chief Secretary, ACS (Home), Secretary (Disaster Management), Secretary (Health), state DGP, and Kolkata Police Commissioner, State Chief Electoral Officer and State Police Nodal Officer cum ADG (Law and Order) were also present in the meeting.
While appreciating the good work done in the last six phases ensuring Covid safe arrangements at the polling stations, EC directed that regular monitoring of COVID compliant behaviour and action against the violations must be done by the authority.
EC directed that effective communication strategies must be put in place to inform voters about Covid safe environment as all polling stations are being sanitised, voters are wearing masks and are provided hand glove and sanitisation facility and social distancing is being maintained.
Polling for the six phases of the eight-phased West Bengal assembly elections has already been concluded. Polling for the sixth and the seventh phase will be held on April 26 and April 29 respectively. The counting of votes will be done on May 2.
(With inputs from agencies)
