Hours after meeting CM, Gujarat MLA tests Covid-19 positive

A Congress legislator from Gujarat's Jamalpur Khadia, a part of a coronavirus hotspot in Ahmedabad, was found to be positive for the dreaded virus on Tuesday.

Significantly, Imran Khedawala had met Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other top officials on Tuesday afternoon regarding the outbreak.

As more and more positive cases are emerging from Ahmedabad's hotspot or cluster areas in the fortified area, health authorities have intensified surveillance and testing in these areas. The state government on Tuesday even imposed a week-long curfew in the area.

There are six areas from the fortified city which are come under the hotspot - Shahpur, Kalupur, Jamalpur-Khadia, Gaikwad Haveli and Dariyapur. Danilii, an area outside, is also under the curfew.

Due to the intensity of more and more positive cases cropping up in these areas, the local legislators are trying their best to convince the people to co-operate with the health authorities for the surveillance and testing.

Khedawala was also in touch with the people in his constituency, trying to convince people to co-operate.

As an outcome of the surveillance and testing, he too was found to be Corona positive, according to sources. After the detection, he was rushed to the SVP hospital and admitted.

Senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, in a tweet, confirmed that the MLA had been diagnosed Covid positive, while praising him for "his selfless service during the coronavirus pandemic without any thought to his personal safety".

Apart from Rupani, Khedawala also met Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and Minister of State for home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja. According to sources, the meetings took place while maintaining the social distancing.

Khedawala had also met Chief Secretary, Anil Mukim and the Director General of Police Shivanand Jha on Tuesday afternoon. Khedawala was accompanied by fellow legislators Shailesh Parmar and Gyasuddin Sheikh, from the area.

He had also interacted with the media thereafter.