Forty-two staff at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Delhi have tested positive for Covid-19, said sources. The mass testing was conducted on Monday ahead of the BJP’s core group meeting.
Many of those infected are sanitation workers. All of them have been asked to self-isolate. The BJP’s headquarters in central Delhi’s Minto Road was fully sanitised later, sources said.
The BJP has started a new protocol where all staff at their headquarters in Delhi will be tested for COVID-19 ahead of any big meeting.
“Only people engaged in important activities related to the office are coming to the headquarters,” news agency ANI reported quoting an unnamed BJP official.
The news comes as senior BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, have been having marathon sessions at the BJP headquarters in preparation for Assembly elections in UP and other states.
Also Read: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tests positive for Covid-19
Senior BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Captain Amarinder Singh, have already tested positive for COVID-19 and have been quarantined at home.
The sudden spike in COVID cases at the BJP HQ may also affect the party’s strategy meetings ahead of elections in five states. Last week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced dates for Assembly polls in five states. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab elections will be held between February 10 and March 7. The results will be declared on March 10.
(With inputs from agencies)
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