Covid situation under control, EC must immediately announce bypoll dates in WB: Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: Asserting that the COVID-19 situation in Bengal is "completely under control", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday insisted that the Election Commission should immediately announce dates for the pending bypolls to seven assembly seats of the state.

She also said that the EC should ensure that the democratic rights of people are not curtailed.

"(It's been) Already four months (since the elections got over), and now with the COVID-19 situation completely under control, people have the right to cast their ballot....They (ECI) had asked for the opinion of political parties.

"I think the EC must announce the by-election dates immediately as we must not curtail the democratic rights of the people," she said at the state secretariat.

Bypolls are due in the seven assembly constituencies of West Bengal -- Jangipur, Samshergunj, Khardha, Bhabanipur, Dinahata, Shantipur and Goshaba.

According to TMC sources, the CM, who lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram seat, is likely to contest from her home turf Bhabanipur assembly constituency, which was vacated by veteran leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay shortly after the results were declared.

Banerjee has filed a case before the Calcutta High Court, challenging the poll results in Nandigram.