The Election Commission of India on Tuesday banned all victory processions on May 2 when results would be announced in Bengal and other states where polls were held and restricted to two the number of people who could accompany the winner candidates to collect certificates.

The twin decisions came a day after the poll panel had been held “singularly responsible” by Madras High Court for the novel coronavirus resurgence in India.

“No victory procession after the counting on 2.5.2021 shall be permissible…Not more than two persons shall be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or his/her authorised representative receive the certificate of election from the Returning Officer concerned,” a letter issued by the EC in favour of chief electoral officers of all states and Union territories read.

The EC has also decided to increase the number of counting centres to 705 from 385 in Bengal in the wake of the coronavirus upsurge. The decision was taken during a video conference meeting of Bengal CEO Ariz Aftab, district magistrates and other polling officials on Monday.

Sources said the number of counting venues were being doubled in order to ensure social distancing among the officials.

“The CEO has asked us to strictly adhere to the Covid-19 protocols. Masks and sanitizers are must at the counting centres. To ensure social distancing, the number of centres are also being increased,” an official in the commission told The Telegraph.

The new decisions, a source said, were taken as a section of polling officials was reluctant to report to counting duty in the backdrop of sudden rise in Covid-19 cases among officials and central force jawans.

On Tuesday, Abdullah Naser (40), an employee of the CEO office at Calcutta, died and he was reportedly suffering from Covid-19.

The turnout in the CEO’s office has dropped by 10 per cent in the wake of the uptick in the caseload.

Two Election Commission observers in Murshidabad contracted the disease on Tuesday.

“The commission had replaced the observers, who had tested positive for Covid, for poll duty. But many are contracting coronavirus after joining their duties. Replacing them is becoming difficult,” a source said.

“We still have the last phase of the polls and the counting due. We poll workers face the risk of contraction,” this person added.

The BJP lauded the EC’s ban on victory processions. BJP national chief J.P. Nadda sent out a direction to all BJP state units to strictly adhere to the norms.

“I welcome the decision of the ECI banning celebrations and processions of electoral victories. I have directed all state units of BJP to strictly adhere to this decision. All karyakartas (workers) of BJP are using their energies to help the ones in need in the hour of crisis,” Nadda tweeted.

Although the Trinamul Congress welcomed the EC’s decision, party spokesperson and MP Saugata Roy reminded that his party had taken a “political decision” to refrain from victory processions in 2011 itself.

“If (the EC) can actually implement the ban they’ve announced, then good… (But) let the EC first ensure peace during the counting. Why are they talking about what happens later?” Roy added.

Calcutta High Court asked the EC to ensure that the ban on processions was strictly adhered to. The interim order was passed by the division bench of Chief Justice T.B.N. Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee, which is hearing multiple litigations related to the issue of polls during the pandemic.

The division bench has also sought a report from the state government on the status of beds and other medical facilities available at hospitals across Bengal. The government has to submit the report on May 2.

Police squat on road

Around 450 police personnel from Darjeeling district sat on NH12 in Malda town on Tuesday evening as they did not find accommodation and food. They had arrived in Malda to join duties during the eighth and final phase of the Assembly polls on April 29.

After disembarking from buses near Pallishree Club, they squatted on the highway with luggage as none from district police was present to guide them. As a result, traffic came to a halt on the highway.

Malda district administration officials arrived and shifted the police personnel to different places. “The police personnel did not block the road. All necessary arrangements have been made for them,” said Malda district police chief Alok Rajoria.