TG, Gaddar call on ailing Kaka in hospital

Noted Balladeer Gaddar and Minister For Minor Irrigation T G Venkatesh on Saturday visited the Yashoda Hospital at Somajiguda to inquire into the health of senior Congress leader G Venkataswamy who has been admitted there following complaints of high blood pressure and difficulty in breathing.

Mr Venkataswamy, popularly called Kaka, is said to be improving after the doctors had late on Friday night described his condition as ‘critical’. He had been put on a ventilator shortly after he was admitted to the super-specialty hospital.

The doctors on Saturday described his condition as ‘stable’.

Minister for Civil Supplies D Sridhar Babu had late on Saturday night visited the hospital and had inquired into the 82-year-old leader’s health with the hospital doctors.  

Kaka had been lying low on the political horizon after his outburst against All India Congress president Sonia Gandhi on February 1, 2011. He had demanded that party president Sonia Gandhi resign from her post immediately and had added that he foresaw no life in the party if Ms Gandhi continues in her post.

Mr Venkataswamy had also stated that the popularity of the Congress was waning and it has now reached a nadir, with managing to remain in power in only five states out of the 29 states in the country. The party’s popularity was dwindling under the Ms Gandhi’s leadership, he had opined.

However, he retracted his statements the next day, but had insisted that the High Command’s ‘indifference’ towards Telangana was the reason behind his outburst.

Kaka was later dropped from the powerful Congress Working Committee which was reconstituted in March.

The senior politician had been elected to the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and Parliament seven times. He had also held important posts, including union minister, PCC president and deputy leader of the party in Parliament.