Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, for the first time ahead of counting in a crucial election, instructed all candidates and key leaders of her party to join her in a virtual meeting on Friday.

This, said sources, is in view of the Election Commission’s new instructions for counting agents and candidates for counting Sunday amid the second wave of Covid-19. Sources said the Trinamul chief is fearful whether the tweak in rules is aimed at helping the BJP in close contests.

“Our estimates suggest scores of seats with narrow margins. We all know, from Bihar’s example last year, that the BJP in cahoots with the EC is capable of turning close contests in its own favour at counting centres,” said a Trinamul vice-president. “That’s what she wants all candidates to prepare against. Awareness, alertness, and not yielding an inch till the end of the process in counting centres....”

According to him, this is the first such instance of a pre-counting meeting with all candidates convened by Mamata in Trinamul’s history.

The EC issued on Wednesday rules for Covid-19 safety at the 705 counting centres in Bengal, such as candidates and counting agents would be allowed inside counting centres only if they produce a negative RT-PCR or RAT report or have taken both doses of the Covid vaccine.

Trinamul had immediately flagged inconsistencies in language. “…the time mandated for providing such a negative report has been stated as ‘within 48 hours of start of counting’, which effectively means by 4 May 2021,” it wrote.

On Thursday, Trinamul shot another missive to Nirvachan Sadan, pointing out that while strict adherence to Covid testing was being expected of election agents, counting agents and candidates, no such provision was made for poll officials inside counting halls or 24,000-odd central force personnel to be deployed that day. Trinamul also demanded that postal ballots — in greater numbers because of the pandemic — be counted first.

“The chief minister is wary of what the BJP may be up to, because of its desperation to win Bengal by hook or by crook, on counting day at counting centres. The many possibilities of malpractice by them is what she will try to keep us ready for. That is why Friday’s meeting is very important,” said a Trinamul leader.