Bhubaneswar, July 14 Sudhanshu Shekhar Parida, a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA from Remuna constituency in Balasore district of Odisha, has tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Tuesday.
The legislator informed that his swab was collected on July 11 and the report has come out positive on Tuesday.
He will be admitted to a COVID hospital. The contact tracing of the MLA has already begun, the official said.
Parida was under home quarantine after coming in contact with Niligiri MLA Sukanta Nayak, who had earlier tested positive for the virus.
Parida is the third legislator from the state to have contracted the virus.
Earlier, the MLAs from Niligiri in Balasore and Salepur in Cuttack tested positive for coronavirus.
( With inputs from IANS )