Four more MLAs test positive for Covid-19 before Assam Assembly session

A day before the Autumn Session of Assam Assembly, four more MLAs tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of legislators contracting the virus in the state to 24

A day before the Autumn Session

of Assam Assembly, four more MLAs tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the total number of legislators contracting the virus in the state to 24, a senior official said.

The reports of Naren Sonowal (AGP), Rituparna Baruah (BJP), Anwar Hussain Laskar (AIUDF) and Najrul Hoque (AIUDF) came out positive at a testing camp in the assembly, he said.

"Four MLAs tested positive on Sunday out of 32 lawmakers. The Health Department is making necessary arrangements for their treatment," Legislative Assembly Principal Secretary Mrigendra Kumar Deka told PTI.

During the three-day testing camp in the assembly, a total of 24 people, including a journalist and five MLAs, have tested positive out of 431 samples, an official said.

BJP MLA Bir Bhadra Hagjer had tested COVID-19 positive on Saturday.

Of the 24 legislators who have contracted the virus so far, 13 are from the BJP and five from its allies, including three from the AGP. The Assam Legislative Assembly has a total strength of 126 MLAs.

Assam Hill Areas Development Minister Sum Ronghang became the first minister of the BJP-led Assam government to be diagnosed with COVID-19 on August 25.

The four-day Autumn Session will take place from August 31 with 50 per cent presence of the MLAs to maintain social distancing norms, Deka said.

"There will be supplementary grants and presentation of 19 bills in the session. Out of the four days, three days will have Question Hours. No visitors will be allowed," he added.