Speaking to reporters while leaving the hospital premises in his car, a frail-looking Raut, reiterated "My health is fine now. We will make sure Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena". Earlier speaking to ABP Majha, the Shiv Sena leader dismissed reports of his party wishing to have re-elections in the state, “Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are working toward the common minimum programme. No chance of having re-election in the state”.
On Tuesday, he expressed his mood by tweeting a verse by renowned Hindi poet Sohanlal Dwivedi - "Lahron se dar kar, Nauka paar nahin hoti; Koshish karne walonki, Haar nahin hoti. Hum honge kaamyab Zaroor honge". (Those who fear the waves will never cross the waters; Those who keep trying, will succeed. We will definitely succeed).
NCP President Sharad Pawar and MP Supriya Sule, Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and later senior leader Eknath Shinde had also visited Raut, besides Bharatiya Janata Party former minister Ashish Shelar and other leaders from various parties.
At the height of the political drama in Maharashtra in which he is the key player, on Monday evening, Raut, 57, was rushed Lilavati Hospital for an angiography.
"Sanjay first underwent an angiography I which two blockages were detected in one of the arteries. Later in the night, an angioplasty was performed and he is recovering and stable now," his brother Sunil Raut told mediapersons.
The procedure was carried out by well-known cardiologist Dr Ajit Menon who had earlier treated late Sena founder Bal Thackeray, and Raut is likely to be discharged in a day or so.
A senior Sena leader said that though Raut had been complaining of chest pain and had gone for a couple of check-ups last fortnight, the recent spell of heavy political activity took its toll at a critical time.
It was only at the insistence of Sena President Uddhav Thackeray that Raut - who is also executive editor of the party mouthpiece 'Saamana' - took some time off for himself and underwent the procedure on Monday.
(With additional information from IANS)