BJP Nalbari MLA Ashok Sarma tests positive for Covid-19

Nalbari (Assam), Sep. 12 (PTI): BJP MLA Ashok Sarma and his wife have tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of legislators in Assam to have contracted the virus to 26, officials said on Saturday.

A Health department official said the BJP legislator from Nalbari constituency and his wife will be admitted to Swahid Mukunda Kakati Civil hospital here.

A total of 26 MLAs, including former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Hill Areas Development Minister Sum Ronghang, and several MPs from the state have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Of the 26 legislators who have tested positive so far, 14 are from BJP, six from its allies including four from AGP and one each from BPF and an Independent, three from Congress and three from AIUDF. The Assam Legislative Assembly has a total strength of 126 MLAs.

BJP Lok Sabha MPs Topon Kumar Gogoi and Dilip Saikia, and its Rajya Sabha Member Kamakhya Prasad Tasa also tested positive and were admitted to different hospitals.

Another prominent politician of the state to test positive was the All India Mahila Congress President and former Silchar Lok Sabha Member Sushmita Dev.

Assam has recorded a total of 1,38,339 cases of Covid-19, of which 35,566 have been reported from Guwahati city alone.

So far, 1,08,329 people have recovered and were discharged from various Covid Care Centres and hospitals across the state, while 29,577 patients are still being treated.

The total number of persons losing their lives due to Covid-19 in the state has gone up to 430.