Sharad Pawar hospitalised, calls off Marathwada tour

Partly cloudy skies over Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Monday Pune/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar was admitted to Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic on Monday following a bout of cough, cancelling his scheduled visit to drought-hit Marathwada. According to Dr Purvez Grant, chairman and managing trustee of the hospital, the veteran politician was admitted for a routine health evaluation and medical observation after complaining of pleuritic chest pain.

“His condition is expected to settle down and he will remain under observation as a precautionary measure,” Grant said. Pawar’s daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule told TOI her father was stable and admitted to the hospital. “He is stable and all his parameters are normal” she said.

The 85-year-old politician had toured Solapur on Sunday and was scheduled to reach Dharashiv on Monday evening before visiting Beed on Tuesday as part of an outreach programme in drought-affected areas. The tour was cancelled earlier in the day amid health concerns and a sudden change in weather conditions across the region.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast unseasonal rain across several parts of Marathwada over the next few days. Light to moderate showers are expected in Latur, Dharashiv and Nanded on Tuesday, with rainfall activity likely to intensify over the following 48 hours.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna and Beed districts may also witness light rain and thundershowers, with wet weather expected to persist for at least two more days. Rainfall has already been reported from parts of the region, including Dharashiv (1.6mm) and Latur (0.6mm), while isolated areas in Beed also received showers during the 24 hours ending Monday morning.

Weather experts at Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani, attributed the unseasonal rainfall to Cyclonic Storm Murasu over the Bay of Bengal and associated weather systems. They said rainfall activity could continue in parts of Marathwada till Nov 4. The changing weather marks a sharp departure from the clear skies and rising temperatures seen across Marathwada last week.

With all 76 talukas in the region officially declared drought-hit by state govt, the expected rainfall could provide some relief to parched agricultural areas, though its overall impact remains to be seen.