| This is a narrative to protect a naked emperor. The vidarbha strain is also spread through out the country, and its not like the same mutations cannot appear elsewhere independently. The most populous state in India, UP, with 220 mn people, the worst medical infrastructure has better numbers than maharashtra. However having a Chief Minister who has gone ahead and threatened people for asking for help and even arresting/threatening journalists. This was a preventable apocalypse. Modi spent all of last year talking about how India is self sufficient and we are magnanimously helping other nations. The promoted cow urine, homeopathy and naturopathy when those resources could have been used last year. The Major religious events were brought forward. When 8 phases of elections were allowed and the opposition asked for shorter elections, the BJP was the one who objected. The data has been intentionally fudged to leave governments, local and central looking better and the most partisan calculus has been at play when the center decides who gets help in the states. |
The 2011 elections were held in 6 phases.[1]
The 2016 elections were held in 6-7 phases.[2]
Why should it be any different this year?
If everyone was so concerned about the pandemic, they should have requested that president's rule be declared in Bengal till the pandemic is over.
Every Indian knows how violent Bengal elections generally are[3] and how voters are intimidated. Hundreds of BJP political workers have been terrorized and murdered in Bengal over the last few years.[4]
When it comes to the Bengal elections, COVID is just an excuse. Shorter elections with reduced security is a nice way to murder democracy.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_West_Bengal_Legislative_A...
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_West_Bengal_Legislative_A...
3. https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/polling-advances-in-b...
> Taking advantage of this slackness, some state police personnel and TMC supporters became active in pressuring rural voters and taking recourse to unfair means. The most serious incident of TMC intimidation occurred in Shalboni’s Adharnayan villages where about 100-150 ruling party activists attacked some journalists and the CPI(M) candidate Shaymsundar Pande.
> According to reports, the TMC goons beat up Pande and the media persons, snatched away the camera of one news channel, damaged vehicles and tried to set fire to a few parked vehicles. The reports alleged that CPMF jawans stood by without taking action against the TMC cadres. Despite repeated appeals to rescue the journalists, the jawans did not move.
> Additional reports suggested that in Nayagram area under West Medinipur constituency TMC workers threatened villagers with dire consequences if they dared to leave their homes to cast their vote. The villagers complained that since they were BJP supporters they were ordered by the TMC workers and state police personnel not to leave their homes. The BJP candidate there was also similarly threatened by them. In Taldangra, Bankura, a state police assistant sub-inspector was seen taking bribes inside a polling booth.
4. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/amit-shah-in-west-be...