Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Samaresh Das, who tested positive for Covid-19, passed away on the early hours of Monday. The 76-year-old MLA was from the Egra constituency in West Bengal’s East Medinipur district.
Das, a three time MLA, started showing symptoms of Covid-19 a couple of weeks ago, following which he and his family members were tested for the infection. While his family members tested negative, Das tested positive for the infection.
He was initially admitted at a local hospital in East Medinipur but was shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata on July 24 after his condition deteriorated. Since then he had been on ventilation. According to hospital sources, Das passed away at 4.25 am on Monday.
Condoling his death Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that it has created an “unfulfillable void” in the field of politics.
“I am deeply saddened by the death of MLA Samaresh Das. His death has created an unfulfillable void in the world of politics. My thoughts are with his family and followers,” tweeted Banerjee.
Das was first elected as an MLA from Egra in a by-election in 2009. He was able to retain the seat in the two following Assembly elections in 2011 and 2016.
Another TMC MLA Tamonash Ghosh died in June after testing positive for Covid-19. Recently senior CPI(M) leader and former minister Shyamal Chakraborty also passed away due to Covid-19.
A TMC councilor of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Subhash Bose had also succumbed to disease. The administrator of Panihati Municipality in North 24 Paraganas district Swapan Ghosh recently died after testing positive for the infection,
Meanwhile, former Minister and senior TMC leader Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury tested positive for Covid-19. Currently he is under home isolation.