Hours after RS polls voting, MP BJP MLA tests COVID-19 positive

A senior BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh tested COVID-19 positive hours after he cast his vote for the Rajya Sabha polls in the state and attended party meetings, an official said on Saturday (June 20).

The legislator’s wife has also tested positive for the infection, he said.

The couples test reports came on Friday night after Voting for three Rajya Sabha seats in the state took place on the same day.

The news of the MLA’s infection triggered panic among other MLAs with some of them reaching hospitals to get themselves tested.

“The MLA and his wife were found infected with COVID-19 in the tests conducted by a private laboratory. We are examining their condition and making a decision whether they need to be hospitalised or home quarantined,” a health department official told PTI, adding that the MLAs contact tracing has been initiated and further tests are also being conducted.

He is the second legislator in Madhya Pradesh, who was tested coronavirus positive.

Earlier, a Congress MLA was found infected. He had voted for the Rajya Sabha polls on Friday after reaching the state assembly complex wearing a PPE suit.

Related news: Rajya Sabha polls: COVID-19 infected MLA votes wearing PPE suit in MP

Talking to PTI, a member of the BJP MLAs family said that the medical team was called on Friday afternoon for the COVID-19 test after the legislators wife complained of uneasiness.

“The MLA and his wife gave the samples to the medical team for the COVID-19 tests on Friday afternoon and they were told at night that both of them have tested positive for the infection,” he said.

After the news of BJP MLA testing positive spread, a senior BJP MLA from Mandsaur, Yashpal Singh Sisodiya, reached government-run J P Hospital in Bhopal along with two other party MLAs.

Talking to reporters, Sisodiya said, “I came here along with two other MLAs from our division — Dilip Makwana (Ratlam Rural) and Devilal Dhakad (Garoth) — after we came to know through media and social media that one of the MLAs from our division has tested positive for COVID-19.”

“We don’t have any symptoms, but came to test forCOVID-19 as a precautionary measure,” he said.

Dhakad said that he came for testing as he had dined with the MLA two days back.

Talking to PTI, Madhya Pradesh State Assembly’s Principal Secretary A P Singh said that all the precautionary measures were taken during the Rajya Sabha polling.

“All employees were in safety gears during the RajyaSabha election process. The assembly campus was being sanitised every 15-20 minutes during the polling process…We are now going through the CCTV footage to trace those who had come in his contact,” he said.

Congress MLA and former minister P C Sharma said that those who came in contact with the BJP legislator should be traced and quarantined.

“The employees and MLAs who came in contact with him during the voting process should be tested,” Sharma said.