Over dozen leaders test Covid positive amid K'taka bypolls

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Bengaluru, April 17 (IANS) Two days after the public campaign for bypolls to three seats in Karnataka came to an end, nearly dozen political leaders including Janata Dal (S) strongman H D Kumaraswamy and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy have tested Covid positive on Saturday and most of these leaders have got inoculated first dose of Covid vaccine.

In his tweet, former Karnataka Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said he has tested positive for Covid-19. "I request everyone who came in close contact with me over the last few days to isolate themselves and get tested," the 61-year-old Janata Dal (Secular) leader tweeted.

Kumaraswamy had been campaigning for the party candidate in Basavakalyan, where polling for the bypoll held on Saturday.

The JD(S) strongman had got himself inoculated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine on March 23.

Within hours of Kumarswamy's tweet, his son and JD(S) youth wing state president Nikhil Kumaraswamy too stated, "I request everyone who came in close contact with me over the last few days to isolate themselves and get tested."

Nikhil who is also a film actor and for the last couple of weeks he was busy in shooting with his upcoming movie in Ladakh.

Reports stated that Kumaraswamy's wife and Ramanagara MLA, Anita Kumaraswamy had been advised to remain home quarantined with two of her closest relatives testing Covid positive.

Apart from Kumaraswamy's family, Karnataka deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi declared on his Twitter that he tested Covid positive. Savadi had been campaigning in the Basavakalyan Assembly segment where his party's candidate Sharanu Salagar is contesting.

Besides, these leaders, Karnataka Legislative Assembly deputy speaker Anand Mamani, who is also BJP legislator from Saundatti-Yallamma Assembly segment, BJP legislator from Hassan Preetam Gowda, Congress leader and Belagaum (Rural) MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar, former minister and Congress leader Puttaranaga Shetty, who were regularly seen in election campaign in Belgaum Lok Sabha seat have tested Covid positive on Friday.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa too tested Covid positive on Friday and is undergoing treatment for the same in Manipal Hospital. He has tested Covid positive for the second time in the last eight months.

Apart from Yediyurappa, deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol too is infected with the virus on April 9 for the second time in less than seven months. He was campaigning hard in Maski constituency, where BJP's candidate Pratapgouda Patil was tested Covid positive on April 11. Another BJP legislator, Raju Narasimhagouda Naik too tested Covid positive on April 13, who was campaigning in Maski.

--IANS

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