The condition of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee continues to be critical, and he is on life support system.

“Former Prime Minister Shri Altal Bihari Vajpayee’s condition continues to be the same. He is critical and is on life support system,” a statement issued by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Thursday.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, and veteran leader LK Advani have reached AIIMS to see the leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to reach the hospital shortly.

The BJP leader has been underdoing treatment at AIIMS for the last nine weeks, and his condition worsened on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s condition has worsened over the last 24 hours. His condition is critical and he is on life support system,” AIIMS had said in the last statement issued late on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, a host of political leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to enquire about Vajpayee’s health.

On Thursday morning, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu visited the 93-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party veteran.

Mediapersons and others have gathered outside the hospital in large numbers to get updates on Vajpayee’s health, affecting the movement of traffic on the road.

Police personnel have been deployed to manage the crowd and traffic outside the hospital.

The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory suggesting people to avoid the stretch between AIIMS and Dhaula Kuan.

Vajpayee, a diabetes patient, was admitted to AIIMS on June 11 for what doctors had described as a routine check-up. He is being treated for a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

The BJP stalwart is under the supervision of Dr Randeep Guleria, a pulmonologist and currently the Director of AIIMS. Guleria has served as personal physician to Vajpayee for over three decades.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited AIIMS to enquire about the veteran leader’s health Wednesday and reportedly spent 15 minutes with Vajpayee.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President Amit Shah had visited Vajpayee on Saturday.

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi also paid a visit to the hospital on Wednesday.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP president Amit Shah had visited the hospital on Saturday.

Vajpayee has only one functional kidney. In 2009, he had suffered a stroke, which weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.