Congress MLA B Narayan Rao dies of severe coronavirus-linked complications
B Narayan Rao, a Congress MLA from Karnataka, passed away on Thursday at a private hospital, after testing positive for coronavirus earlier. The 65-year-old was in a critical state, the hospital said yesterday. His organs had failed and he was on support systems, like ventilator and dialysis, doctors had revealed. He was undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru.
A first time MLA from Basavakalyan in Bidar district, Rao defeated BJP's Mallikarjun Khuba and PGR Scindia of JD(S) in the 2018 Assembly polls. Last month, he was part of a meeting convened by state Revenue Minister R Ashoka. Subsequently, he complained of fever and was taken to a hospital in Bidar. After his condition deteriorated, he was admitted to Manipal on September 1.
Dr. Manish Rai, the Director of Manipal Hospitals, had earlier revealed about Rao's condition, adding that a multi-disciplinary team of doctors was observing him. "Currently, he is in a very critical state with multi-organ failure, on multiple supports including a ventilator, and dialysis," Dr. Rai had said. Rao's oxygen levels had dipped drastically on Tuesday and he was shifted to ICU.
The news of Rao's demise came hours after it was reported that Union Minister Suresh Angadi died of coronavirus. The 65-year-old is the first Union Minister - he was MoS (Railways) - to have succumbed to COVID-19. His passing away was condoled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, ex-PM Deve Gowda — all of them remembered his unwavering commitment toward people.
Meanwhile, India, the second worst-hit nation by coronavirus, has lost 91,204 people so far. After over 86,000 fresh cases were added yesterday, the tally rose to 5,737,197. The highly-contagious disease has also taken the lives of 55-year-old Ashok Gasti, a newly-elected BJP member for Rajya Sabha, YSR's parliamentarian 64-year-old Balli Durga Prasad Rao, and 70-year-old H Vasanthakumar, who was a Congress MP.
