Guwahati, Aug 26 (PTI) Three more MLAs in Assam have tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total members of the state legislators infected by the virus to 16 which include former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, officials said.

Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF)'s Kamal Singh Narzary from Bijni, BJP's Bhaskar Sharma of Margherita and Independent MLA Bhubon Pegu of Jonai have tested COVID-19 positive. Narzary and Sharma have been admitted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital while Pegu is in home isolation at Jonai in Dhemaji district. Of the 16 legislators who have tested positive so far, eight are from BJP, four from its allies including two from AGP and one each from BPF and an Independent, three from Congress and one from AIUDF. Gogoi, the three time former chief minister, had tested positive on Tuesday and was admitted to GMCH on Wednesday. Gogoi, who represents Titabor assembly constituency in Jorhat district, is the third from the Congress to test positive. His former cabinet colleague Ajanta Neog, representing Golaghat constituency in the assembly, tested positive on Tuesday and has been admitted to Gauhati Medical College Hospital. Earlier, another former Congress minister and party legislator from Samaguri constituency in Nagaon district Rakibul Hussain and his wife had tested positive. BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa tested positive on Saturday and has been admitted to the Jorhat Medical College Hospital. The other BJP MLAs to test positive are Mihir Kanti Shome from Udharbond, Deputy Speaker Aminul Haq Laskar from Sonai, Krishnendu Paul from Patharkandi, Narayan Deka of Borkhetry, Bolin Chetia from Sadiya, Nabanita Handique from Sonari and Atul Bora of Dispur. AGP's West Gauhati legislator Ramendra Narayan Kalita and Dergaon MLA Bhabendra Nath Bharali have tested positive so far.

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AIUDF's Algapur MLA Nizamuddin Choudhury and eight members of his family had also tested COVID-19 positive.

Another prominent politician of the state to test positive was the All India Mahila Congress President and former Silchar Lok Sabha Member Sushmita Dev. Assam has so far reported a total of 94,592 COVID-19 cases, of which 19,515 are active, as 74,814 have recovered from the disease, 260 have died and three have migrated to other states.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)