West Bengal Election 2021 Highlights: EC makes negative COVID-19 report or full vaccination mandatory for candidates, polling agents to enter counting halls on result day

The Election Commission on April 28 issued the COVID-19 protocol for May 2, when the counting of votes would be held for the recently contested assembly elections. The candidates and their respective polling agents would be allowed entry inside the counting centres only if they carry COVID-19 negative test report. Both form of tests - RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests - would be valid for entry in the counting centres, as per the EC order. The test should be conducted within 48 hours before the day of counting.

Read more | EC issues COVID-19 protocol for May 2: Negative test report must for candidates, polling agents to enter counting centres

In the seventh phase of Bengal Assembly polls, a total of 76.89 percent voter turnout was recorded, according to Election Commission's data.

Among 35 constituencies going to vote in the eighth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, 11 are Red Alert constituencies. Red Alert constituencies are those where three or more contesting candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.

Among the 283 candidates in the fray in phase 8 of Bengal Assembly polls, 64 have declared criminal cases against themselves. This means 23 percent of candidates have been charged with criminal cases. Of these, 21 are from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 11 from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), 10 from the Indian National Congress (Congress) and seven from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M).
Out of 64 candidates with criminal cases, 50 have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.

There are 55 crorepati candidates in eighth and final phase of polling, which means they have declared assets valued at more than Rs one crore. Of these, 28 are from TMC, 12 from BJP, five from Congress and one from CPI(M). BJP leader Tapas Kumar Yadav tops the list with a declared asset value of over 34 crore (34,60,93,674). (ADR report)

In the eighth and final phase of polling, 35 constituencies across four districts will vote, including six constituencies of Malda, 11 in Murshidabad, seven in Kolkata North and 11 in Birbhum. The polling will be held between 7 am and 6.30 pm in 11,860 polling stations. A total 84,77,728 voters -- 43,55,835 male, 41,21,735 women and 158 of the third gender are eligible to decide the fate of 283 candidates in the eighth phase of polling.

Mizoram reported the highest single-day spike of 229 new COVID-19 cases today, as per official data. Among the new patients are 108 policemen who had gone to West Bengal for election duty. Besides, 16 jawans of theAssam Rifles and an Army personnel were also found to be positive. With the new cases, the state'stallyrose to 5,742, while 13people have succumbed to the infection so far.(PTI)

A plea was moved in the Delhi High Court yesterday seeking directions to the EC to take action like imposing penalty and lodging FIRs against "star campaigners" and leaders of all political parties for allegedly violating COVID-19 norms during the assembly polls in West Bengal. The application by Vikram Singh, the former DGP of Uttar Pradesh and also the chairman of think tank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC), has also sought directions to the Centre and the Election Commission to "ensure compulsory home quarantine of persons who campaigned in the last one week of in West Bengal". (PTI)

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has banned all victory processions during or after the counting of votes on May 2 amid surging COVID-19 cases in India. As per the EC notification, "Not more than two persons shall be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or his/her authorised representative receive the certificate of election from the Returning Officer concerned."

Read more | Election Commission bans victory processions during and after vote counting on May 2

BJP president JP Nadda has welcomed the Election Commission's order banning victory processions during and after counting of votes in states where assembly polls have been held.

I welcome the decision of the ECI banning celebrations and processions of electoral victories. I have directed all state units of BJP to strictly adhere to this decision. All karykartas of BJP are using their energies to help the ones in need in this hour of crisis.

— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) April 27, 2021