The BJP's new headquarters is in central Delhi's Minto Road (File)
Forty-two staff at the BJP headquarters in Delhi have tested positive for COVID-19, sources have said. A mass testing was done on Monday ahead of the BJP's core group meeting, after which the 42 staff were found positive.
Many of those infected are sanitation workers, sources said. All of them have been asked to self-isolate.
The BJP's headquarters in central Delhi's Minto Road was fully sanitised later, sources said.
The BJP has started a new protocol where all staff at their headquarters in Delhi will be tested for COVID-19 ahead of any big meeting.
"Only people engaged in important activities related to the office are coming to the headquarters," news agency ANI reported quoting an unnamed BJP official.
Yesterday, a meeting of the BJP's core committee on the Uttar Pradesh assembly election was held at the party headquarters. The second round of the meeting will be held today.
On Monday, BJP chief JP Nadda said he tested positive. "I got my COVID-19 test done after witnessing initial symptoms. My report has come positive. I am feeling fine now. On the advice of doctors, I have isolated myself. All those who have come in contact with me in the last few days are requested to get themselves tested," Mr Nadda tweeted in Hindi.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt also tested positive on Monday.
On Tuesday, a top BJP leader who is in charge of the party's affairs in Uttar Pradesh tested positive for COVID-19. Radha Mohan Singh, who is also national vice president of the BJP, had attended a meeting of the party's top leaders in Lucknow on Monday night, where UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh were also present.
While Radha Mohan Singh went into self-isolation, Swatantra Dev Singh went ahead with the BJP's door-to-door campaign on Tuesday morning for the seven-phase assembly elections to be held starting February 10.
The country today reported 1,94,720 fresh COVID-19 infections, up by 11 per cent since yesterday.