This Article is From Aug 27, 2014

Lalu Prasad Yadav's Heart Surgery Ends Successfully

Lalu Prasad Yadav's Heart Surgery Ends Successfully

File photo: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav

Mumbai: Bihar politician Lalu Prasad Yadav had a six hour 15 minute heart surgery on Wednesday in a Mumbai hospital.

Doctors at the  Asian Heart Institute said three procedures were performed on the 66-year-old leader - a valve was replaced, his aorta was repaired and a 3 mm hole was repaired.

Mr Yadav was admitted to the hospital in the heart of Mumbai on Monday, the day his party the Rashtriya Janata Dal registered a big win along with its new partner Nitsih Kumar and the Congress in by-elections in 10 assembly seats.

A stream of politicians have visited him to wish him well and congratulate him. Nitish Kumar is expected to fly to Mumbai too this week to meet him.

"Wishing a speedy recovery to Lalu ji and praying for his good health," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.


The need to stall Mr Modi's BJP in Bihar got Nitish and Lalu, bitter rivals for two decades, together for the by-elections. They put up a creditable show winning six of ten seats. The result was a setback for the BJP, which swept the national election in Bihar, like it did in most other parts of the country, winning 31 of the state's parliamentary seats.

From his hospital room on Monday, Mr Yadav indicated that their alliance  could be here to stay. Bihar votes for a new government next year. 

Mr Kumar resigned as Chief Minister of Bihar after his party, the Janata Dal United, polled just two parliamentary seats in May. He installed another leader from his party to head the government, and teamed up with Lalu and the Congress.

Lalu was Chief Minister till 1997 when he was forced to step aside over corruption charges; he then made his wife Rabri Devi the head of the state government. It was Mr Kumar who ousted them from power in 2005.
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