Sharad Pawar discharged from Breach Candy Hospital; Sunetra Pawar meeting stays a talking point

Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar has been discharged from Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. His condition is described as stable.

Pawar's health had faltered while he was touring drought-hit parts of Maharashtra. He complained of cough and weakness and was first admitted to Ruby Hospital in Pune. After two days there he was discharged, and he was then admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai for further tests. One account says he went home to Silver Oak, but his condition worsened that evening and he was taken back to Breach Candy. He has now been released after two days of treatment on this stay.

During his time in hospital, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called on him, accompanied by Sachin Ahir and Milind Deora. Speaking to the media afterwards, Shinde said Pawar was in good health and improving, and that the doctors had told him he would be sent home the next day. He said the visit was not only about Pawar's health: the drought and the steps to counter it were also discussed. Shinde added that he had urged Pawar not to rush out of hospital and to rest for a few days.

Many other leaders came to see Pawar. Praful Patel of the Ajit Pawar faction spent about an hour and a half with him. Pawar is reported to have told Patel that the two would speak again after the 10th, and what was discussed remains a matter of curiosity. Jayant Patil, Sanjay Raut, Jitendra Awhad, Sushilkumar Shinde, Chhagan Bhujbal, Balasaheb Thorat and industrialist Gautam Adani are also said to have visited.

Others asked after his health by phone. They include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray, MNS president Raj Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee and Rajnath Singh. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to Supriya Sule to enquire about Pawar.

The reports differ on Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar. An earlier account listed her among those who had visited him. The later account says her office sought time to meet him three times, but no meeting took place, and that this has set political circles speculating. Parth Pawar is also said not to have come to the hospital. According to sources, he and Jay Pawar asked after their grandfather by phone.

The hospital visits have coincided with fresh talk of the two NCP parties merging. Sunil Tatkare, state president of the Ajit Pawar faction, said Ajit Pawar had held meetings on a merger and had informed him about them. His statement has raised the question of whether the two parties will unite again, and Sunetra Pawar's missed meeting with Sharad Pawar is being read against that background. With Pawar now home, attention in state politics is on what follows in the coming days.