Sharad Pawar
ANI Photo

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday, where he is scheduled to undergo gallbladder surgery on Monday.

NCP Minister Nawab Malik tweeted, “Our Party President Sharad Pawar saheb has been admitted in Breach Candy Hospital and as informed earlier, a surgery will be performed tomorrow to address his gallbladder ailment.”

He further said, “Sharad Pawar was advised to rest for seven days after he underwent a medical procedure (last month). It was then decided that the surgery for the removal of his gall bladder will be performed after 15 days. Accordingly, Pawar was admitted to Breach Candy hospital on Sunday," he said.

Pawar, 80, had undergone an emergency endoscopy for the removal of a stone from his bile duct at the hospital on March 30. He was later discharged and recovering at home. On April 7, World Health Day, he was administered his second dose of the Covid vaccine, having received his first jab on March 1.

Shortly after his discharge from hospital on April 3, he met party ministers at home to discuss the political situation especially amid the BJP’s attack on the state government over the corruption charges against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. After Bombay High Court ordered a preliminary probe by the CBI into corruption charges made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, Pawar asked Deshmukh to resign.

Thereafter, Pawar chose his close confidant and former personal assistant Dilip-Walse Patil to be the new head of the home department. His nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was given charge of the excise department, in addition to the finance and planning portfolios he already holds, while Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif got additional charge of the labour department. Both excise and labour were earlier held by Walse-Patil.