Several MLAs in Madhya Pradesh have opted for Covid-19 testing or quarantined themselves at the advice of the state assembly secretariat after a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus disease, according to the secretariat officials.
The test results of the MLA and his wife came late on Friday night, the day of voting in Rajya Sabha polls at the state assembly premises. The positive result caused panic among the other MLAs who were present there that day.
As many as 206 legislators had participated in the voting. They included a Covid-19 positive Congress MLA who came for voting dressed in a PPE kit.
Congress MLA and former minister PC Sharma said, “It was mainly BJP MLAs who were close to the infected (BJP) MLA. But we are also keeping watch on our health and have consulted doctors.”
Principal secretary, Health, Faiz Ahmad Kidwai said, “The MLA himself approached a hospital to get tested along with his wife at 3.30 pm on June 19. They quarantined themselves and got the reports of tests at 10.30 pm on the day. The administration in his district was immediately informed about his health condition and a separate team was given the work of contact tracing. However, the MLA and his wife are in good health and they both are asymptomatic.”
The principal secretary’s statement assumes significance after the Opposition Congress accused the BJP legislator of keeping others in the dark about his health condition, alleging he had tested positive for coronavirus two days prior to the RS poll.
{{/usCountry}}The principal secretary’s statement assumes significance after the Opposition Congress accused the BJP legislator of keeping others in the dark about his health condition, alleging he had tested positive for coronavirus two days prior to the RS poll.
{{/usCountry}}A state assembly official who didn’t want to be named said, “Of the 206 MLAs who cast their votes in RS poll, one was already infected with Covid-19 and the second tested positive on the very day of polling. Of the remaining MLAs , 25 are staying in MLAs rest house in Bhopal, some of them with their family members. All of these legislators, their family members and security personnel were screened on Sunday and five of them went for the tests as they had meetings with the infected MLA. Meanwhile, all the legislators across the state are being given Ayurvedic decoction for boosting their immunity.”
He added, “During examination of the CCTV footage of the state assembly, four MLAs were identified who were standing close to the infected BJP MLA in the queue for casting their votes on the day of polling. These MLAs left for their home towns the next day. All these legislators were advised to get themselves tested immediately.”
Health department additional director Dr Santosh Shukla said, “The health department officials in Bhopal and other districts are in touch with all the MLAs. So far, samples of nine MLAs have been tested and all the reports have come negative.”