Lucknow, April 19 (IANS) BJP MLA from Banda, Prakash Dwiwedi, has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asking him to immediately stop the ongoing panchayat elections.

He said that three phases of the panchayat elections were yet to be held and in view of the corona surge, it would be hazardous to allow them to go ahead.

Dwivedi said that some contestants were hospitalized and one of them had even died. He pointed out that people were moving around in large crowds for campaigning and the safety protocols were not being followed in the rural interiors.

The BJP MLA said that it would be in larger public interest to immediately call off the panchayat elections.

--IANS amita/vd