Amidst rising Covid-19 cases in the country, election meetings and rallies in Kerala ahead of the Assembly polls are violating the protocols. The number of Covid-19 cases began to rise as both the ruling and opposition parties are conducting the rallies without following the Covid-1 norms. The Health Department has warned that if the situation continues, then the spread of Covid-19 will increase sharply in Kerala after mid-April.
Crowds have become a regular sight on the streets of Kerala as all the major leaders from UDF, LDF and NDA have come out to show their strength. Children, who are most likely to be infected, are seen along with their parents attending the procession attended by hundreds without even a mask.
Experts doubt whether Kerala will be able to delay the spread of Coronavirus in the second phase as they did during the first phase.
Meanwhile, according to the data released by the Union Health Ministry, India has recorded new 68,020 Covid-19 cases taking the total number of cases to 1,20,3,644. The overall death toll touched 1,61,843 with 291 deaths in the last 24 hours. The number of currently active cases in Maharashtra has touched a new record and it seems that the state is reportedly heading towards another lockdown in the coming week.
In a setback to the ruling LDF amid hectic campaigning, one of their candidates, KI Antony of Thodupuzha constituency tests positive for Covid-19. Antony is a candidate of the Kerala Congress (Mani) an ally of the ruling LDF and is taking on nine-time legislator and former Minister P J Joseph of the Kerala Congress party, an ally of the Congress-led UDF from the Thodupuzha constituency in Idukki. Antony is one of the first candidates from a major political party who is contesting the polls to have turned Covid positive.
