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Day after RS polls, BJP MLA, wife test Covid +ve in MP
Bhopal A Bharatiya Janata Party legislator and his wife tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday a day after he cast his vote during the Rajya Sabha polls held at
Bhopal A Bharatiya Janata Party legislator and his wife tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday a day after he cast his vote during the Rajya Sabha polls held at the assembly premises on Friday, according to legislators from Congress and BJP. The MLA had also attended the BJP legislature party meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.
The MLA happens to be the second legislator in the state to be infected with Covid-19. Earlier, a Congress MLA tested positive for the virus.
He turned up in a personal protective equipment (PPE) kit in the state assembly on Friday afternoon to cast his vote. He, however, had been given the facility of a postal ballot that he didn’t go for, according to legislators.
The state Congress has accused the BJP MLA of putting in peril the life of other legislators including chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who chaired the BJP legislature party meetings and also cast his vote in RS polls, state assembly secretariat staff and the selected media people who were allowed to cover the Rajya Sabha polls amid the Covid-19 situation.
State Congress spokesperson Ajay Yadav said, “We have learnt that the BJP MLA got samples of his wife and himself tested for coronavirus two days back but still he attended the BJP legislature party meetings. He has committed a grave offence by concealing the information about his health and he should be immediately booked.”
The MLA confirmed that he and his wife had tested positive for Covid-19. However, he said, they went for the test on Friday only. “When my wife complained about fever we got our samples tested on Friday. Now we are going to be hospitalised,” the MLA said over phone.
State BJP spokesperson and MLA Rameshwar Sharma said, “I can’t comment on whether the MLA knew about his health conditions but we are alert about our health and consulting doctors as to what to do. However, certain MLAs have gone to hospitals too for their test today. Another concern is many MLAs who came from other districts to Bhopal to cast their votes have returned to their homes. If any of these MLAs test positive for coronavirus, his family members too will be prone to contracting the disease and so will the others who are in contact with him.”
State assembly principal secretary and returning officer for Rajya Sabha election AP Singh said, “We all followed all required safety measures including social distancing norms and the state assembly premises was sanitised on Friday. But it’s a matter of concern if the MLA removed his face mask to talk to others or some legislators and others might have come close to him.”
As many as 206 MLAs cast their votes on Friday during the Rajya Sabha polls.
