Manikrao Kokate undergoes coronary angiography; doctors advise bypass surgery

Former Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Manikrao Kokate underwent coronary angiography, Lilavati Hospital doctors confirmed on Friday, stating that patients were not admitted without medical necessity.

After a hearing in the Bombay High Court, Dr. Jalil Parkar and cardiologist Dr. Suresh Vijan said Mr. Kokate had a heart rate of 115 and blood pressure of 220 when he first arrived at the hospital.

“He had acute coronary syndrome. After running some tests, the report showed he has four severe blockages, with one 100% block. We have suggested that he undergo bypass surgery. However, he has not yet decided to proceed with the surgery,” Dr. Jalil Parkar and Dr. Suresh Vijan said. Bypass surgery reroutes blood flow around blocked arteries, while angiography is an X-ray test used to detect blockages or narrowing in the heart’s arteries.

Mr. Kokate’s admission to hospital on Wednesday drew attention as it coincided with the Nashik court upholding his conviction and sentencing him to two years’ imprisonment in a 1995 fraud and cheating case. He was subsequently stripped of all ministerial portfolios, including sports. On Friday (December 19, 2025), however, the Bombay High Court granted him bail and suspended the sentence.

Emphasising that Lilavati Hospital is a reputed institution, Dr. Parkar said, “We do not admit patients unnecessarily, and now it is open that he has a heart problem and requires surgery.”

Dr. Vijan also noted that Mr. Kokate had two stents placed 15 years ago and that they were functioning well. However, he said that if the patient did not wish to undergo bypass surgery, angioplasty remained an option.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Girish Mahajan said, “The session court has given the decisions, he has been removed from the cabinet, this clearly shows that now no one is shielding him and honouring the court’s order.”

Meanwhile, State president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) Shashikant Shinde said, “If action had not been taken, then this would have been contempt of court. So, the police went to the hospital, but just did the inquiry instead of an arrest. Bombay High Court would have asked why no action was taken, so the government handled the issue this way.”