TMC delegation to meet EC on July 15 to press for bypolls

The byelections are of critical importance to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who lost the assembly poll to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

Accusing the Election Commission (EC) of delaying by-elections in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday said that it will meet the poll panel on July 15 in this regard.

TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that his party wants the by-elections to be held as early as possible as the Covid-19 situation has considerably improved in the state. Speaking to reporters in Kolkata he took a dig at the EC asking whether it was waiting for the third wave to hit the country.

“We will meet the EC officials on Thursday in Delhi to demand that by-elections and pending elections be held in seven Assembly constituencies as early as possible. The Assembly elections were held in the State when Covid-19 cases were at its peak but now the situation has considerably improved,” said Roy.

“Is the EC waiting for the third wave to hit the country? It is delaying the by-elections,” he added.

The by-elections are crucial for the TMC as party supremo Mamata Banerjee has to get elected within six months after taking oath as the Chief Minister. As per the Constitution, she has to resign unless she can get elected within the stipulated time frame.

While by-elections are due in the Assembly constituencies of Bhawanipore, Khardah, Gosaba, Dinhata and Santipur, elections are to be held in Samserganj and Jangipur as they were postponed due to the death of two candidates suffering from Covid-19.

Senior TMC leader and Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay resigned as MLA of Bhawanipore to pave the way for the election of the TMC supremo. The Khardah and Gosaba Assembly seats fell after the deaths of winning candidates from the TMC. The Dinhata and Santipur Assembly seats fell vacant after BJP’s winning candidates Nisith Pramanik and Jagannath Sarkar resigned as MLAs deciding to retain their MP posts.

Elections were postponed in Samserganj and Jangipur following the deaths of two candidates due to Covid-19.

The BJP has scoffed at the TMC’s demand of holding by-elections stating that the state Government was delaying elections to several municipalities in the State but was raising a hue and cry over bye-elections to ensure Mamata’s entry into the Assembly.

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