Jayalalithaa declared dead close to midnight, after 75 days on edge

Jayalalithaa declared dead close to midnight, after 75 days on edge

For decades, she battled legal challenges and political adversities. On Monday , Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa lost the most intense struggle of her life. Apollo Hospitals, where she had been admitted on September 22, declared her dead at 11.30pm, plunging Tamil Nadu into tears and turmoil.
News of her precarious condition following a cardiac arrest prompted the AIADMK to brace itself for an unforeseen eventuality . Its legislators met in the evening to elect twice stand-in chief minister O Panneerselvam as its new leader in the assembly .

The official announcement though was withheld in deference to the uncertainty surrounding Jayalalalithaa's health. The party decided not to name a new general secretary either.

Governor C Vidyasagar Rao remained in constant to uch with the Prime Minister's Office, the hospital and constitutional experts. Doctors continued firefighting.

Apollo Hospitals executive director Sangita Reddy tweeted around 2.45pm: “Despite our best efforts, our beloved CM remains in a grave situation.“

Four hours later, a few Tamil television channels reported that the chief minister had died, pushing Jayalalithaa followers into despair. A few hundreds gathered in front of the Apollo Hospitals erupted in fury . They broke police barricades and threw stones; police responded with mild force.

Soon Apollo Hospitals put out a statement saying Jayalalithaa was still on life support, forcing the channels to retract the news.

At the AIADMK headquarters, the party flag which was on half-mast after the news broke, fluttered high again.

Earlier, shops in the city had started downing shutters by early afternoon, vehicles had gone off the roads, and schools, colleges and offices were calling it a day early when the outlook appeared bleak. Dr Richard Beale, the intensivist who flew down from London several times to treat Jayalalithaa, said in a statement: “Unfortunately and in spite of the progress she had made, her underlying health condition inevitability meant that the risk of further problems always remained.“ He described the situation as “grave“ but said everything possible was being done to give the CM “the best chance of surviving this shocking event.“

Jayalalithaa remained on life support systems for heart, lungs and kidneys, attended to by an Apollo Hospitals team and four specialists from AIIMS, Delhi. “She hasn't woken up after the cardiac arrest,“ a doctor told TOI, on condition of anonymity . “But we are hopeful.“

DMK leaders may be targeted: Intel

I ntelligence agencies have warned of law and order disturbances triggered by “emotionally charged“ supporters of AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa. There could be attacks on Apollo Hospital, DMK leaders and possible targeting of Karnataka state transport buses, reports Bharti Jain.

VIA: The Times of India (Ahmedabad)