A day after declaring themuch-awaited results of the West Bengal Assembly Elections, the ElectionCommission on Monday issued an order stating deferment of polls on 2 seatsuntil further instructions.
The decision has takenin the wake of the Covid crisis in the country. Meanwhile, of 294 seats, the latestassembly elections were contested for just 292 as two candidates died of Covidcomplications.
"TheCommission, after taking all material facts and inputs of CEO West Bengal andCEO Odisha in consideration and taking note of lockdown under DisasterManagement Act, 2005, as issued by NDMA/SDMA, has decided to defer thescheduled poll and extend the period of elections in 110-Pipli AC of Odisha and58-Jangipur and 56-Samserganj assembly constituencies of West Bengal," thestatement read.
Itmaybe noted here, in April, Revolutionary Socialist Party's Jangipur candidatePradip Nandy and Congress's Rezaul Haque in Samserganj had succumbed to Covidcomplications.
Earlier,the EC issued a notice that voting for these two Assembly seats of WB will beheld on May 16. However, the fresh notifications reveal that elections havebeen deferred indefinitely and the decision will be taken only after reviewing thepandemic situation.
In this devastating secondwave of COVID-19, Bengal has been reporting over 15,000 daily cases for severaldays.