Over 25 parliamentarians, including Meenakshi Lekhi, Anant Kumar Hegde and Satya Pal Singh, tested positive for coronavirus in the mandatory tests that were conducted before the beginning of the 18-day Parliament monsoon session.
At least 17 of the MPs are from Lok Sabha, and the other nine are from the Rajya Sabha.
BJP has the maximum with 12 MPs
Among those infected in the Lok Sabha, the BJP has the maximum with 12 MPs, the YRS Congress has two, and the Shiv Sena, DMK and RLP have one each. The Lok Sabha members were tested at the Parliament House on September 13 and 14, sources said.
In Rajya Sabha, two each from BJP and Congress and one each from AIADMK, TRS, AAP and TMC tested positive.
BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal, who was one of the 17 Lok Sabha MPs, said that he was not infected as he has been screened thrice after giving a sample at Parliament and his all three reports have been negative.
The 18-day session is being held amid unprecedented precautionary measures against Covid-19 due to a continuing spike in cases. On the eve of the session, the Union Health Ministry reported 94,372 fresh cases in 24 hours.
The opposition is seeking to corner the government on its handling of the standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
