Election rallies and political gatherings have been a common place for quite some time now even as the deadly second wave of COVID-19 is sweeping the country.
While polling in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry ended on April 6, four of the eight phases of Assembly polls are yet to be held in West Bengal with very few leaders, across parties, seemingly paying regard to health protocols despite Election Commission of India flagging instances of star campaigners and political leaders not wearing masks while campaigning.
Here is a list of politicians and star campaigners who have so far tested positive for Covid-19 recently.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on April 14 that he has tested positive for Coronavirus. The BJP leader campaigned in poll-bound West Bengal a week ago. Opposition leader in Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party has also tested positive for the virus. Yadav, though was not in West Bengal, but had visited the Kumbh fair in Haridwar recently.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tested positive for COVID-19 on April 8, two days after single-phase assembly polls were held in the state. Senior Congress leader and former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy have tested positive for coronavirus. Both the rivals were campaigning heavily in Kerala before elections
CPI leader D Raja
CPI leader D Raja was hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19 on April 13. The CPI general secretary had campaigned for the LDF alliance in Kerala. Raja was admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
DMK general secretary Durai Murugan
DMK general secretary D Murugan tested positive on April 8, two days after the single phase polls in Tamil Nadu were held. The 83-year-old leader was a candidate from Tamil Nadu’s Katpadi constituency. Murugan is recovering under home isolation, reports said.
Union Minister Arjun Munda
Union Minister of tribal affairs Arjun Munda said on April 7 that he has tested positive for Covid-19 on April 7. The minister had campaigned in election campaigns in Assam and West Bengal.
DMK MP Kanimozhi
DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi was hospitalised on April 3 after she tested Covid-19 positive. She had campaigned in southern Tamil Nadu for DMK candidates in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi. Clad in a PPE kit Kanimozhi voted on April 6 elections in Tamil Nadu.
Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan
Union minister Sanjeev Balyan announced on April 11 that he had tested positive for coronavirus. Balyan is a senior BJP leader from Uttar Pradesh where Panchayat elections are being held
Read: Tamil Nadu Election 2021: DMK's Kanimozhi, COVID-19 positive, casts vote in PPE suit
BJP candidate Anandamay Barman
Anandamay Barman, BJP’s candidate for Matigara-Naxalbari Assembly constituency in West Bengal's Darjeeling district tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Matigara-Naxalbari assembly seat will go for the polls in the fifth phase scheduled on April 17.
Congress leader Madhav Rao
Congress candidate Srivilliputhur assembly constituency in Tail Nadu, Madhav Rao passed away on April 11, just days after testing positive for Covid-19.
On April 10, the Election Commission on asked politicians to follow in all seriousness the guidelines on COVID-appropriate behavior issued by it ahead of Bihar assembly elections last year.
In cases of breach, the poll body warned that it will "not hesitate in banning public meetings, rallies of defaulting candidates, star campaigners or political leaders without any further reference." The EC letter came after the Delhi High Court had sought the commission's and the central government's response on use of masks during poll campaigns.
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