Former Lok Sabha Speaker and ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar G. Joshi has been shifted out of the intensive care unit and is now said to be in a stable condition, according to doctors at the PD Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. The 86-year-old politician was rushed to the hospital on May 22 in critical condition after suffering from a brain haemorrhage. Although Joshi remains semi-conscious, a team of medical experts is keeping a close eye on his condition.
Visitors to the hospital, including Shiv Sena-UBT President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi, and other family members, have inquired about the veteran politician’s health. Joshi is best known for his appointment as the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Maharashtra, leading the state in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party for four years (1995-1999). He later served as a Cabinet Minister for Heavy Industries before being elected as the Speaker of Lok Sabha (2002-2004) during the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Joshi was only the second person from the state to occupy this prestigious office, after the Congress’ Shivraj Patil (1991-1996).
