Union minister Nitin Gadkari falls ill at election rally in Shirdi, condition stable

In 2011, when he was BJP president, Gadkari underwent a bariatric surgery which not only leads to weight loss, but also helps in treatment of diabetes and hypertension. The Saifee authorities had then stated that Gadkari, who suffers from diabetic nephropathy which affects the kidneys, had to be operated upon to make sure his sugar level is under control.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari being attended by party workers.

Shridi (Maharashtra): Union minister Nitin Gadkari fell ill at an election rally in Shirdi this afternoon. Gadkari, 61, complained of dizziness at the rally and was immediately attended by party workers and a doctor who checked his blood pressure and gave him glucose and medicines. Reports say his condition is stable. The temperature in the temple town was 43 degrees during the day and the extreme heat must have caused exhaustion to the BJP leader. Reports say as soon as Gadkari stood to address the gathering, he started feeling dizzy. This is for the third time he was seen complaining of uneasiness during a public event. In December last year, he fainted at a function in Ahmednagar. Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao caught hold of him before he was about to fall. A year earlier he similarly fell ill at a public meeting in Assam's Majuli district. “Had slight medical condition due to low sugar. I have been attended by doctors and i am doing well now. I thank all of you for all the well wishes,” Gadkari had tweeted after having fainted at the event in Ahmednagar. In 2011, when he was BJP president, Gadkari underwent a bariatric surgery which not only leads to weight loss, but also helps in treatment of diabetes and hypertension. The Saifee authorities had then stated that Gadkari, who suffers from diabetic nephropathy which affects the kidneys, had to be operated upon to make sure his sugar level is under control. Reports say a number of politicians in Maharashtra have undergone bariatric surgery. Gadkari's close aide Vinod Tawde and CM Devendra Phadnavis also underwent the surgery a few years ago.