On the sixth day of his indefinite fast on Wednesday, N. Chandrababu
Naidu’s health showed significant deterioration causing concern to
Telugu Desam Party leaders and his family members.
Mr. Naidu rejected numerous appeals from Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and leaders of
parties across the political spectrum, including the TDP, to call off
his fast. He insisted that the government concede all his demands to
provide relief to rain-hit farmers, but the Chief Minister appeared in
no mood to oblige him. The TDP and other opposition parties will stage a
national highway blockade on Thursday.
As his health began worsening, Nizam’s Institute of
Medical Sciences (NIMS) doctors made makeshift arrangements in the
emergency ward on a par with an intensive care unit. They said his key
parameters like pulse rate (86 per minute), blood pressure (140/80
mmHg), respiratory rate (20 per minute) and urine sugar remained, by and
large, normal. But the fall in potassium level (4.5 meq/L) was causing
concern as it could impact kidney functioning. Sodium levels too were
found to be below normal and any further fall could result in severe
complications.
Alarmed by this development, TDP leaders held
consultations with the Left parties and convened back-to-back meetings
of the Polit Bureau and TD Legislature Party. “We are trying our best to
convince him to call off the fast as his health is precious to us,”
Polit Bureau member Ummareddy Venkateswarlu said. The Polit Bureau
condemned the State and Central governments for their “negligent
attitude” in dealing with the situation.