Thane, July 4 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde was rushed to a private hospital in Thane on Friday after his health deteriorated suddenly. According to preliminary reports on Saturday, Shinde is currently under the care of a team of specialist doctors, and his condition is stated to be completely stable.

Shiv Sena sources indicate that Dy CM Shinde’s health suffered due to extreme physical exertion and heavy work pressure over the past few days.

On Friday, while the state legislature session was underway, he developed a high fever and experienced severe weakness. Despite the fever, he initially continued working before his condition worsened, necessitating immediate hospitalisation in Thane.

Shiv Sena sources have confirmed that while he remains in the hospital for treatment and observation, there is no cause for serious concern. The sudden illness follows a period of intense political activity in the state.

Dy CM Shinde has been at the centre of ‘Operation Tiger,’ an initiative that recently saw six MPs from the Thackeray faction and Mumbai MLC Sachin Ahir switch allegiances to his Shiv Sena. Executing these major political shifts required constant work and multiple trips to New Delhi, which reportedly led to exhaustion.

The health setback directly impacted scheduled political events in Thane. Shubhangi Patil, a prominent leader and deputy leader from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction in Dhule, was scheduled to officially join Shinde’s party at 4:00 PM on Friday at the Gangubai Shinde Hall, Thane. Due to Shinde’s sudden hospitalization, the main ceremony had to be rescheduled. Ultimately, the induction took place late at night, concluding around 1:15 A.M.

In Shinde’s absence, his son and Member of Parliament, Dr Shrikant Shinde, presided over the induction at 2:00 A.M., alongside several senior party office-bearers. Patil, a notable political figure, had previously contested the Nashik Graduates Constituency election as a Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate, securing nearly 50,000 votes.

–IANS

sj/rad