Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Monday tested positive for coronavirus. The CM, who had fainted during a rally in Vadodara a day ago, was kept under observation in an Ahmedabad hospital for 24 hours.
Rupani, 64, fainted on stage while addressing a rally in Nizampura area of Vadodara for the upcoming civic polls in the state, following which he was flown to Ahmedabad and admitted to a hospital.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani tests positive for #COVID19. He has been admitted to a hospital.
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/4wlVDiosMO
— ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2021
“Rupaniji fainted due to tiredness and dehydration. We have done a thorough checkup and all his tests are normal,” reporters told Dr RK Patel of the UN Mehta Hospital, where the chief minister is admitted.
State Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that while Rupani is all right, he would be held for 24 hours under observation.
LIVE – વડોદરા ખાતે આગામી સ્થાનિક સ્વરાજ્યની ચૂંટણી અંતર્ગત આયોજિત જાહેરસભા#ગુજરાત_મક્કમ_ભાજપ_અડીખમ https://t.co/i7uZZhLLim
— Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) February 14, 2021
BJP leader Bharat Danger told reporters that CM Rupani had been ill for two days, but instead of cancelling public meetings, he chose to proceed and to return to the rally on Saturday and Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inquired on Sunday over the phone about Rupani’s health, a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office said. Modi advised Rupani to search himself thoroughly and to rest properly, it said.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in India, Gujarat is among the worst-affected states. Even as the state was able to carry the daily Covid-19 count below 250, with over 4400 deaths attributable to the deadly virus, the overall tally stands at 2.65 lakh.
