KOCHI: KM Mani, the chairman of Kerala Congress (M) and a key figure in the state politics, is critically ill and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.
A hospital bulletin released on Monday said that the octogenarian is under treatment for chest infection. "His hemodynamic status remains stable. Close medical supervision is being carried out to monitor daily progress. He has been suffering from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) for several years and has been frequently hospitalized for chest infections in the past," the bulletin read.
Visitors have been strictly restricted to prevent further infections and provide effective medical care, it added.
Mani, 86, holds the record for presenting 13 Kerala budgets. He has never lost an election in the state Assembly since his first win from Pala in 1965. Mani's Kerala Congress (M) is a key ally in the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala.
He has not been able to campaign in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections due to his deteriorating health condition.