Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut discharged from hospital post angioplasty

Mumbai, After a three-day stint where he underwent an angioplasty, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was discharged from Lilavati Hospital here on Wednesday afternoon.

Sitting in his car, a tad weary but still displaying his fighting spirit, Raut forcefully reiterated: "Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena", conveying a message to the party's potential new allies, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

On Tuesday, he expressed his mood by tweeting a verse by renowned Hindi poet Sohanlal Dwivedi - "Lahron se dar kar, Nauka paar nahin hoti; Koshish karne walonki, Haar nahin hoti. Hum honge kaamyab Zaroor honge". (Those who fear the waves will never cross the waters; Those who keep trying, will succeed. We will definitely succeed).

This morning, several Congress leaders by state chief Balasaheb Thorat and others called on Raut in the hospital and enquired after his health.

NCP President Sharad Pawar and MP Supriya Sule, Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and later senior leader Eknath Shinde had also visited Raut, besides Bharatiya Janata Party former minister Ashish Shelar and other leaders from various parties.

At the height of the political drama in Maharashtra in which he is the key player, on Monday evening, Raut, 57, was rushed Lilavati Hospital for an angiography.

"Sanjay first underwent an angiography I which two blockages were detected in one of the arteries. Later in the night, an angioplasty was performed and he is recovering and stable now," his brother Sunil Raut told mediapersons.

The procedure was carried out by well-known cardiologist Dr Ajit Menon who had earlier treated late Sena founder Bal Thackeray, and Raut is likely to be discharged in a day or so.

A senior Sena leader said that though Raut had been complaining of chest pain and had gone for a couple of check-ups last fortnight, the recent spell of heavy political activity took its toll at a critical time.

It was only at the insistence of Sena President Uddhav Thackeray that Raut - who is also executive editor of the party mouthpiece 'Saamana' - took some time off for himself and underwent the procedure on Monday.