Pawar stable, under observation for 3 days

NEW DELHI: Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, admitted to Escorts Hospital here following complaints of exhaustion, underwent angioplasty on Saturday and doctors said his condition was stable.

Sixty five-year-old Pawar, who also heads the Indian Cricket Board, is under observation of leading cardiologist and Managing Director of Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre Naresh Trehan.

"He is quite stable," Trehan said.

He said the the NCP chief, admitted to hospital on Friday evening, would be kept under observation for at least three days.

The NCP chief had directed party leaders -- Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and D P Tripathi -- to go ahead with the merger of Kerala leader K Karunakaran's Democratic Indira Congress (K) with the party on Sunday as scheduled.

Pawar was scheduled to attend the merger ceremony to be held at Kochi along with top party leaders.