Election Commission’s guidelines for conducting elections in Bihar and other places have received mixed response from the political parties of Bengal which goes to polls in May next year.
While the ruling Trinanool Congress have received the EC directives for holding safe elections during the pandemic period, Opposition Left and BJP have doubted whether things would be implemented properly in Bengal next year.
Supporting the EC move senior TMC leader Saugato Roy on Friday said “It sounds good that the Commission has taken into consideration basic issues like social distancing and protocol based campaigning,” Roy sad adding “it is good that the EC has not postponed the elections on grounds of corona.”
The Commission has made masks, gloves and social distancing both during voting and campaigns mandatory. Besides it has fixed the number of people who would be allowed to campaign and those who would accompany the candidate while filing the nominations.
“This is the best possible way to conduct the elections if we at all have to conduct it by ensuring the safety of the people who come to vote as also those who conduct the elections,” Roy a senior MP said.
The State BJP leadership however wondered whether the Bengal administration would be able to conduct the elections the way the EC wanted.