Questions about Thackeray's health have troubled the Sena ever since he was moved into the Hinduja Hospital for "rest and observation" on January 26. As Thackeray was moved to the intensive care unit, Sainiks hung around the hospital, restless for news about their leader. Initially, the hospital bulletins said the Sena chief had a critical coronary problem. But after the bypass surgery, Thackeray is reportedly doing much better and might be up and about in time to campaign for the polls.
Thackeray's nephew, Raj, says the Sena chief will address one or two meetings in each district depending on the number of Lok Sabha constituencies going to the polls. "Apart from election rallies, he will address press conferences. Also, cassettes of his speeches—audio and video—will be used for campaigning to keep the pressure off him." That his nephew is bent upon taking off the pressure from him is evident when he says: "We are also there to tour the state and help him campaign." With 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Mahara-shtra, campaigning will not be on such a fevered pace as was evident during the assembly elections for which 288 seats were at stake.
For the Sena, it is crucial that Thackeray gets back on his feet as soon as possible for he is the only leader in Maharashtra who can draw crowds like filmstars do. And the Sena needs the crowd to justify its wish to contest 25 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state—a number the BJP, which has a greater stake in the polls, is unwilling to concede. "We will fight a greater number of seats. We have shown that we can win them," says Raj Thackeray. With hisuncle back in form, they will be in a better bargaining position. Both the BJP and the Sena need Thackeray to take on the Congress which won 38 seats in the last Lok Sabha elections.
Sceptics, however, wonder how much campaigning the Sena chief will be able to undertake. They argue that Thackeray, who turned 70 on January 23, will certainly not be able to put in half the pace of his Vidhan Sabha election tours, where six meetings a day were customary. Media speculation has also cast doubts on his ability to campaign. Chief MinisterManohar Joshi, however, put all speculation to rest when he said he would like to believe the doctors rather than rely on thenewspapers on the subject of Thackeray's health. Describing his party chief's mood as "joyous", Joshi added that the "doctors say he will be all right in 15 to 20 days".
According to Dr Nitu Mandke, the cardiovascular surgeon who operated on Thackeray, the Sena chief will be able to campaign like before: "Balasaheb will conduct rallies as usual. One would not like a person who is 70 to undergo a lot of strain, but I feel he should be able to starthis election work by mid-March." Mandke dismissed the views of some cardiologists who have questioned the necessity of a bypass surgery and also suggested that the Sena chief should be advised rest for at least six weeks after such an operation. "Some cardiologists are creating a controversy for small personal gain. This was our joint decision (Dr Faroukh Udwadia and Dr Jamshed Dalal were part of the consulting team)."
The bypass was necessary to clear a block at the origin of Thackeray's left anterior descending art ery. Mandke was summ oned from Ahmedabad to operate on Thackeray on February 10, shortly after he complained of a chest pain.
The Sena chief's admission to hospital has led to much speculation about the future of his monolithic party. Following the death of his wife, Mee-natai, Thackeray has confined himself to his residence. Even the stream of visitors that used to gather at his suburban Bandra residence, Matushree, has been considerably cut down. The party chief's depressing mood and the hospitalisation that followed have dealt a blow to Shiv Sainiks who both revere and fear him.
Since he was shifted to hospital, the place has been overtaken by armed securitymen and party workers anxious about the Balasaheb's health. But now, it seems, they have some cause for comfort.
Tags