India / Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi tests positive for coronavirus

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader and former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has tested positive for Covid-19.

The 85-year-old, who was tested on Tuesday, wrote of his health status on Twitter Wednesday. According to Gogoi, he is asymptomatic and does not have any problems.

“I have been tested COVID-19 positive yesterday. People who came in contact with me during the last few days they should go for COVID test immediately,” the former CM tweeted.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Gogoi informed that though he had slight cold few days ago, he was not experiencing any health complication. His wife Dolly tested negative.

“I was tested for Covid-19 on Tuesday and informed about my status on Wednesday morning. I had a slight cough and cold a few days ago, but am fine now,” Gogoi said.

“I am staying at home. Some are saying I can stay at home while others are saying I need to get admitted at a hospital. I will go wherever the doctors asked me to,” he added.

There are speculations that Gogoi, who has been busy travelling and meeting several party leaders, may have picked up the infection from Congress MLA Ajanta Neog of Golaghat, who had visited the former CM’s Guwahati residence recently and also tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday.

On Saturday, a meeting of several senior Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leaders was held at Gogoi’s residence where a decision on forging a ‘grand alliance’ between the two opposition parties for the 2021 assembly polls was finalised.

Gogoi had hit headlines recently when he stated that former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, a nominated Rajya Sabha MP, could be the ruling BJP’s candidate for Assam CM’s post for 2021. The BJP dismissed the assertion as false.

Gogoi is the latest among several MLAs and prominent politicians from Assam who tested positive for Covid-19 in recent weeks. Till date, seven legislators from BJP, three from Congress, two from Asom Gana Parishad and one from AIUDF have tested positive for the disease.

Besides, BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Assam Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and the president of All India Mahila Congress and former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev tested positive for Covid-19.