Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Legislative Assembly Speaker Nana Patole tests positive ahead of session

Mumbai

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Nana Patole on Friday detected Covid-19 positive. He has done so three days before the two-day monsoon session of the State Legislature begins in Mumbai. Patole cannot attend the proceedings and in his absence Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and a team of Presiding Officers are expected to tkae charge. Patole in a tweet said, ''In the last few days I had travelled extensively in my constituency to review the flood situation and related works. While travelling I started experiencing corona symptoms and got tested for the same.'' He has called upon those who came in his contact to get tested. Patole had recently held a meeting with the Public Health Secretary Pradeep Vyas, the Medical Education Director Dr Tatyarao Lahane and Legislature Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat to discuss safety measures, including the sanitization of the State Legislature building and conducting Covid-19 tests on all 288 assembly and 60 council members on September 5 and 6. He also presided over the Business Advisory Committee held on August 25 to finalise the date and business of the monsoon session.