Shiv Sena tiger "recovering" but still not out of the woods

Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, who has been taken off life support system, today continued to show signs of improvement with party leaders terming his condition as "stable".

Mumbai, which has been on edge ever since Thackeray's condition worsened on Wednesday, slowly got back to business.

Thackeray, 86, was taken off life support system yesterday but is still being administered oxygen artificially.

There was speculation that he could be shifted to Lilavati Hospital but a senior doctor attending on the ailing leader said on condition of anonymity that there was no such plan. A medical team from the hospital from is constantly monitoring his condition.

"From our face you can make out that Bal Thackeray's health is improving. His pulse rate, heart rate and blood pressure is also improving. Divine power and prayers of everyone is with him," Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut told reporters.

The condition of Thackeray, who has not been keeping well for the last few weeks, suddenly worsened on Wednesday night when he had to be put on life support.

No medical bulletin on his condition has been issued in the last three days though Shiv Sena leaders have communicated with the assembled media and Thackeray's son Uddhav briefly addressed the supporters twice in two days asking them to pray for his recovery. He, however, did not reveal much by way of information on Thackeray's health.

"Since yesterday, Shiv Sena chief's condition is stable. I had said yesterday and I will say again today, I have not given up hope. You too must not give up hope because we all are fighting soldiers of a fighting leader," Uddhav had said yesterday, adding "whatever treatment is possible, is being given."

"Balasaheb is doing better every passing day due to the good wishes of the people," senior Sena leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi told the media today outside Thackeray's heavily fortified residence in suburban Bandra.

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