As cases rise, Congress wants Election Commission to postpone Pipili bypoll

BHUBANESWAR: The Congress state unit on Tuesday moved the Election Commission seeking postponement of the May 16 Pipili by-poll in the wake of alarming Covid-19 situation in Odisha. A delegation of Congress leaders met state chief electoral officer Sushil Kumar Lohani and urged him to place their demand before the Election Commission of India (ECI).
“Covid has wreaked havoc across the country, including Odisha. The Madras high court has on Monday blamed the ECI for the Covid surge in the country. Since the Covid situation is alarming in Odisha, the ECI should immediately put on hold the Pipil bypoll. Human lives are more precious than elections,” Congress state working president Pradeep Majhi said after handing over the memorandum to Lohani here.
Majhi said the bypoll can be conducted only after the Covid situation improves. “We should not forget that Pipili’s sitting MLA Pradeep Maharathy (BJD) had succumbed to Covid in October last year. A few days before the bypoll, our candidate Ajit Mangaraj died of Covid. Even though we have been conducting door-to-door campaigning, people are not allowing us to meet them in Pipili. They have been shutting their doors to politicians,” Majhi said.
The Congress has sought the support of BJD and BJP to postpone the Pipili bypoll. The BJP said the Congresss proposal is a political gimmick. “The bypoll can be conducted as per Covid safety protocols. Since the notification has already been issued, the ECI cannot cancel it now,” senior BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan said.
Senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said the ruling party has already suspended rallies and meetings in Pipili in view of Covid surge. “We have been strictly following the ECI directives and Covid guidelines,” Mishra said. It must be noted the state government has imposed restriction on all political, social and cultural meetings and rallies in view of Covid surge.
The political parties can campaign through virtual mode. They can also hold door-to-door campaign with participation of only five persons. Campaigning for the bypoll will end on May 13 evening.
The ECI has directed the Puri district administration to strictly enforce Covid norms.