Gujarat: Panic in political circles as Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki tests Covid-19 positive

GANDHINAGAR/VADODARA: Panic spread across Gujarat’s political spectrum on Monday after senior Congress leader and two-time state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki tested positive for Covid-19. Solanki, who was one of the Rajya Sabha nominees of the Congress, had met a host of political leaders including chief minister Vijay Rupani, senior BJP leaders and all Congress MLAs and leaders, on Friday last.
The former union minister was at his native Borsad in Anand district, when he complained of fever and uneasiness. He was admitted at Bankers Super Speciality Hospital at Manjalpur at around 1 pm on Monday.
“He had fever for last two days. His Covid-19 test which was done at other hospital turned out to be positive. His vital parameters are within normal limits. He is being treated by specialized Covid care team,” stated the health bulletin released by the hospital which has been empanelled by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation as dedicated Covid hospital.
“He is not on oxygen or ventilator as of now,” the bulletin stated.
Sources said that as Solanki tested positive, six servants including three male and three female working at his bungalow located at Beverly Hills in Borsad taluka of Anand district were also asked to remain under home quarantine while the bungalow was sanitised.
After news was flashed of Bharatsinh Solanki testing positive for Covid-19, Shaktisinh Gohil, newly elected Rajya Sabha MP, who spent the whole day with Solanki on Friday, decided to self-quarantine at his Delhi residence and canceled his Bihar trip.
It is believed that the 67-year-old picked up the infection from someone at the Gujarat assembly. He was present at the assembly from 8:30 am to 10 pm on Friday, holding a number of closed door meetings with several senior Congress leaders including Gohil, GPCC chief Amit Chavda, leader of opposition (LOP) Paresh Dhaani and all the 65 Congress MLAs at the LOP’s office. He rode back to him home in Borsad directly from the assembly.
During the day, Solanki was also seen at the polling area for a fairly long time, and met several BJP leaders including CM, dy CM Nitin Patel, state BJP president Jitu Vaghani and other ministers in the government. He even reportedly made a courtesy call to assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi. After being tested positive for Covid-19, there is a scare not just in the Congress camp, but among BJP leaders as well.