BENGALURU: The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to cast its shadow over the proceedings of the state legislature, which begins on Monday, with many ministers and legislators testing positive for the coronavirus.
Just two days ahead, Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan tested positive on Saturday. Many senior legislators may also not attend the session owing to health concerns. All the ministers and legislators will have to take a Covid test before they can attend the session.
Ashwanth Narayan, who took test on Saturday, said he is asymptomatic and will be under home isolation.
In the last 15 days, six ministers have tested positive for Covid-19. This apart, at least 15 MLAs of different parties have caught the virus since August-end. With six of his ministers out of action, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was advised to assign the task of answering questions, related to those ministries, to other ministers.
‘Though many are not Covid +ve, some may skip session due to fear’
Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar, Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Urban Development Minister Byrati Basavaraj, Food and Civil Supplies Minister K Gopalaiah, who are undergoing treatment, are unlikely to attend the session, either for the first few days, or completely.
Lawmakers who have contracted the virus in last few days include HD Kote MLA Anil Kumar, Hunsur MLA Manjunath, Mahadev (Periyapatna), Umanath Kotian (Moodbidri), S Angara (Sulia), Ravindranath (Davanagere North), H D Revanna (Holenarasipur), Shivalinge Gowda (Arasikere), Subhash Guttedar (Aland) and Priyank Kharge (Chittapur).
Sources in the Secretariat pointed out that most of the legislators in both the Houses are aged over 60 years. “Though many of them are not Covid-positive, some may skip the session due to fear. In the last few months, at least 50 to 60 legislators, including Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, had tested positive. We will get the number only on Monday,’’ the sources said.
Earlier, Health Minister B Sriramulu, Kannada and Culture Minister C T Ravi, Forest Minister Anand Singh, Cooperatives Minister S T Somashekar, Agriculture Minister B C Patil, Rural Development and Panchayath Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa, Women and Child Development Minister Shashikala Jolle had contracted the virus and have recovered from the infection. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shivakumar too had tested positive and have recovered. Apart from elected representatives, five to six staffers in the Secretariat, who are supposed to work inside the hall, have tested positive on Friday.