Mumbai, Sep 18: Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut on Friday said he has tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the ninth member of the state cabinet to contract the infection.

Raut (63), who is also the working president of the state Congress, tweeted about his diagnosis.

"I have tested positive for COVID-19. I would request all those who had come in contact with me to get themselves tested as a precautionary measure," he said. Raut is the ninth minister in the MVA government to test positive for COVID-19.

Earlier, ministers Jitendra Awhad (housing), Ashok Chavan (PWD), Dhananjay Munde (social justice), Sunil Kedar (animal husbandry), Balasaheb Patil (cooperation), Aslam Shaikh (textile), Abdul Sattar (MoS-rural development) and Vishwajit Kadam (MoS-cooperation) had tested positive for COVID-19.