Mamata Banerjee cancels ‘big’ Kolkata rallies, writes to PM on vaccine, medicine supply

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suspended all of her scheduled "major rallies" in Kolkata on Sunday due to the Covid surge, limiting herself to only one meeting and smaller gatherings in districts "where cases are lower."

Furthermore, she urged her party colleagues to limit their campaigning in areas of Kolkata that will vote in the next two phases on April 26 and 29. In an interview with a private TV channel, Mamata said that her rally on April 26 in north Kolkata's Beadon Street would be her only one in the area.

Earlier in the day, Mamata wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing doctors' grievances over “extremely scarce and uncertain” supplies of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, two primary medicines used to treat Covid-19. She also urged him to investigate the “scarce and erratic” influx of vaccines into the state and to ensure a consistent supply of oxygen.

The chief minister described three areas in which the PM's involvement was needed "to scale up our capabilities to tackle the pandemic on a war footing." She prioritised vaccine availability, stating that “focused and aggressive vaccination” was crucial, especially in Kolkata due to its “high population density.”

Mamata stated that Bengal had been among the “best performers” in the early stages of the vaccination programme, but that the state was now “suffering” through no fault of her government. Also, she urged PM Modi’s resignation over the nationwide Covid spike. Mamata accused Modi of misleading the nation and failing to prepare, saying, "All he says is he has to win Bengal."

BJP candidate hit by a stray bullet: On Sunday, BJP Malda (SC) candidate Gopal Chandra Saha was hit in the throat by a stray bullet while campaigning in the Old Malda district. As per hospital sources, Saha is doing well. In the meantime, a BJP worker who had been threatened with "dire consequences" on election day was declared dead at a hospital in Nadia after being discovered unconscious with injuries all over his body.