BJP member, former minister’s wife die of Covid, Gujarat toll 891

Upadhyay, an active member of the BJP for two decades and a member of its doctors’ cell, was an orthopaedic surgeon. He died at Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad.

Dr Aditya Upadhyay (62), an active BJP member and a former BJP cabinet minister’s wife were among the 30 in Gujarat who died of the Coronavirus on Monday. The death toll rose to 891.

Upadhyay, an active member of the BJP for two decades and a member of its doctors’ cell, was an orthopaedic surgeon. He died at Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad. He was admitted to the SVP Hospital for more than two weeks before he was shifted.

His wife, Dr Pallavi Upadhyay, a gynaecologist and former corporator from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s Gomtipur ward and a member of BJP’s doctors’ cell, is admitted at Sterling Hospital along with their son, both of whom have tested positive. Pallavi is also BJP’s Bapunagar ward president.

Madhuben Thakore, wife of a former BJP cabinet minister Madhubhai Thakore, also succumbed to Covid-19 on Monday. Madhubhai is currently the Ahmedabad district BJP secretary. He and three of his family members are in quarantine. Both deaths were confirmed by BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya.

Former AMC standing committee chairman and BJP media cell member Jayantilal Parmar, 75, also tested positive. He was admitted to SVP Hospital on Saturday and his results came back positive on Monday.

A well-known builder from Ahmedabad also died of coronavirus on Monday, while assistant sub-inspector Girish Barot succumbed on Sunday. His was the second death reported from the Krishnanagar police station. Sources from the real estate business said the builder had multiple co-morbidities and had been ailing for some time.

With 403 new cases, including one of a person not from the state but tested there, Gujarat’s total shot up to nearly 14,500 on Monday.

Narmada district reported three new cases, including that of an 11-year-old girl, taking the district total to 18.

The three who tested positive had accompanied a 10-year-old boy from Mayashi village in Nandod taluka who tested positive on May 21 upon return from Ahmedabad, earlier.

Gandhinagar saw four new cases and three deaths.