Veteran CPM leader and CPM MLA from Siliguri, Asok Bhattacharya, tested Covid-19 positive, a Darjeeling district health department source said on Wednesday.

Bhattacharya, who is 70, has fever. He is admitted to a private nursing home in the city where he is said to be stable.

“We are confident he will soon recover and resume his work for the people of Siliguri,” said Darjeeling district CPM secretary Jibesh Sarkar.

Bhattacharya, former mayor who also chairs the board of administrators at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), had earlier tested negative. As his symptoms persisted, his swab sample was again tested on Tuesday and this time found positive.

Former councillor and member of the board of SMC Shankar Ghosh said some state leaders and state municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim had called up to enquire about Bhattacharya’s health and promised to arrange specialist doctors if needed.

In Siliguri, sources said, 16 more people tested positive and one positive patient and a suspected Covid-19 patient have died.

The SMC premises will remain closed for three days starting Thursday for sanitisation. “We are preparing a list of all those who had come in contact with the chairperson (Bhattacharya) in the past few days,” said SMC commissioner S.W. Bhutia.