Divided Over Politics, United by Virus Crisis: TMC, BJP Want to Defer Bengal Civic Polls Due to ‘Pandemic’

Kolkata: As the country is battling to combat deadly new Coronavirus crisis, political parties like Trinamool Congress and BJP in West Bengal have expressed desire to defer the civic polls scheduled to be held across the state in the next month.

“We are all aware of the prevailing threat of COVID-19 which has also been declared a ‘pandemic’ by World Health Organisation (WHO). The West Bengal government has issued advisories and implemented several measures with regard to precautions citizens need to take to ensure their safety,” a statement issued by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC reads.

“In the wake of such crisis, we will appeal to the State Election Commission of West Bengal to defer the upcoming municipal/corporation elections. In fighting this pandemic, political parties must stand shoulder to shoulder with the people we represent. Election will come and go. Politics must take a backseat when society is faced with such threat. Political parties must come together and join hands to ensure social well-being. Let us revisit the idea of India. Let's come together and fight this. Together!” it reads.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal election commission is scheduled to meet all political parties today to discuss the polls in more than 100 civic bodies across the state. “We will request the election commission to defer the polls due to COVID-19 issue,” a TMC MLA said.

Echoing similar sentiments, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh too suggested that the civic poll should be deferred considering the pandemic condition across the world.

Before COVID-19 outbreak, the state BJP unit sought deferment of civic polls in Kolkata citing reasons that there will not be enough time for campaigning.

On February 20, a BJP delegation led by senior party leader Mukul Roy met State Election Commissioner Sourav Das and requested that enough time should be given to the political parties for campaigning by deferring the civic polls as board exams would continue till the end of March.

It is likely that other parties like Congress and Left Front will also demand for poll deferment.