Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray successfully underwent angioplasty on Friday, with his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray and other family members present at Lilavati Hospital here throughout the procedure.
Doctors declared Uddhav in fine nick after three arterial blocks were removed. They said he was likely to be discharged on Sunday.
Angioplasty was completed in two-and-a-half hours, said cardiologist Matthew Samuel Karalickal, who headed a panel of six doctors that did the procedure. The same team performed the procedure on Uddhav’s father and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in July 2009.
“He [Uddhav] is absolutely fine and fully conscious. All blocks have been removed, and his heart is functioning normally,” Dr. Karalickal said.
After the procedure, Uddhav spoke to his father on the phone and to other family members, said senior Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi.
On Thursday evening, Mr. Bal Thackeray summoned Raj — who formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena after breaking away from the Shiv Sena in 2006 — to his residence, Matoshree, at Bandra.
According to sources, Raj and other relatives discussed Uddhav’s procedure.
Earlier, on Monday, Raj, who was away at Alibag, rushed to Mumbai on hearing about Uddhav’s hospitalisation.
The dramatic reunion of the two cousins, after three years of separation, is seen in political circles as an indication of a thaw, sparking media speculation on a rapprochement before the 2014 elections.
But Raj and Shiv Sena leaders have denied any political significance, saying the MNS chief’s visit was a family matter.
