Campaign rallies by all political parties in the poll fray have seen large crowds pay little attention to COVID-19 protocols like social distancing.
Kolkata: A day after Bengal went to its fifth phase of assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cancelled all campaign rallies in the state in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases.
He also advised all other politicians to think about the consequences of holding large public rallies.
In view of the Covid situation, I am suspending all my public rallies in West Bengal.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 18, 2021
I would advise all political leaders to think deeply about the consequences of holding large public rallies under the current circumstances.
The surging coronavirus in its second wave is a cause of worry for the poll-bound Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed to club the final three phases of the ongoing elections, but was turned down by the Election Commission.
Campaign rallies by all political parties in the poll fray have seen large crowds pay little attention to COVID-19 protocols like social distancing.
Two candidates – Congress’s Rezaul Haque and Revolutionary Socialist Party’s Pradip Kumar Nandi – have passed away after testing positive for COVID-19.
On April 17, Trinamool Congress MLA from Murarai constituency, Abdur Rahman, died at a Kolkata hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
Rahman, who was named as the candidate for the same seat by the TMC for the ongoing elections, had been replaced by Dr Mosarraf Hossain after he tested positive for the contagion.
Rahman was shifted to a private hospital after his condition deteriorated, the official said adding that the TMC leader breathed his last this morning.
Polling officials carrying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMS) and other materials to a polling centre, ahead of 5th phase of West Bengal Assembly Polls, amid surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, in Nadia, Friday, April 16, 2021. Photo: PTI
Mounting cases
Bengal on Saturday registered its highest single- day spike of 7,713 coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 6,51,508, bulletin released by the state health department said.
The death toll rose to 10,540 after 34 COVID-19 fatalities were registered in the state, it added.
Kolkata on Saturday also accounted for its highest one- day spike of 1,998 new cases along with 10 more casualties.
Neighbouring North 24 Parganas registered eight deaths, Murshidabad (5), Birbhum (3) and two each in South 24 Parganas (2) and Purulia, the bulletin said.
One death each was reported in Hooghly, Howrah, Purba Bardhaman and Jalpaiguri districts, it added.
Out of the 34 deaths, 17 were due to the co-morbidities where COVID-19 was incidental.
Among the fresh cases, North 24 Parganas accounted for 1,639 cases, while Howrah (432), Birbhum (406), Malda (344), Hooghly (321) and Paschim Bardhaman (310), it added.
In the last 24 hours, 3,426 recoveries were registered in the state.
Since Friday, 45,330 samples have been tested in West Bengal taking the total number of such clinical examinations to 97,62,086.
(With PTI inputs)
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