Union minister Smriti Irani tests positive for Covid-19

Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani today informed that she has tested positive for coronavirus infection.

Posting the news on her official Twitter account, she urged those who came in contact with her in the fast few days to get themselves tested "at the earliest."

The Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi-led government was last seen campaigning for Bhartiya Janata Party in Bihar ahead of the Assembly polls on Saturday.

Irani had been actively participating in the election rally for Bihar and Bypoll Gujarat for past few days.

On October 24, she had addressed a rally at Gujarat's Vadodara and Bihar's Bikram area while on October 26, she had addressed a rally in Bodh Gaya for the Bihar Assembly election.

During her election rally in Bihar, the Union Minister asserted that "riches acquired through the fodder scam" will find no takers among the self-respecting people of the state. The firebrand BJP leader, who addressed her first couple of rallies in the state, also invoked the imagery of Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and remarked that people knew "she comes carrying the lotus and not the lantern", an obvious allusion to the poll symbols of BJP and the RJD respectively.

Other prominent leaders who have campaigned in Bihar so far include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress leaders Raj Babbar and Shatrughan Sinha, BSP supremo Mayawati and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. CPI rising star Kanhaiya Kumar also joined the campaign, mainly for candidates of the Left parties. Besides, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flew down to release the BJP manifesto which promised, among other things, free corona vaccination.

Meanwhile, India's coronavirus tally neared the 80-lakh mark on Wednesday with 43,893 new Covid-19 infections. India reports 43,893 new COVID-19 cases, tally stands at 79,90,322. India's total cases surged to 79,90,322 on Wednesday, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)