Calcutta, Dec. 27: Her head was “reeling” and her feet were “numb”, but Mamata Banerjee remained dogged in her refusal to be taken to hospital as she was put on oxygen support for the second day.

The Trinamul Congress chief’s blood samples were sent for tests this afternoon.

“Mamata is not keeping well and her blood pressure has dropped. But she will continue her fight against the injustice meted out to farmers of Singur. She is also having breathing problems,” leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Partha Chatterjee, said.

Mamata’s fast entered the 24th day today.

Trinamul’s Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a doctor, told party leaders that Mamata’s pulse rate today was hovering around 53, while her BP had dropped to 80/50. “I don’t know how Didi is carrying on after 24 days of fasting…. Her condition is worsening everyday,” Ghosh Dastidar was quoted as saying by a Trinamul MLA.

Mamata’s personal physician, Shambhu Das, arrived at the hungerstrike manch around 1.30 this afternoon to collect her blood samples. “The samples have been sent for testing to find out the state of her liver and kidney,” a Trinamul leader said.

Lying on her cot at the Esplanade manch, the Trinamul chief asked party leaders to chalk out future programmes on the Singur issue.

“All of you know that my health is deteriorating. My head was reeling and my feet became numb this morning. But I am mentally strong. I will never visit the hospital,” Mamata told them.

Samajwadi Party leader Vijay Upadhyay, who is also on hunger strike with Mamata, today fell sick but he, too, refused to be hospitalised.