Pramod Mahajan is dead

      Mumbai: Senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan died at Mumbai's P.D. Hinduja Hospital on Wednesday afternoon after battling for his life for 12 days. Doctors reading out a medical bulletin said that Mahajan had suffered irreversible multiple organ failure. Mahajan was badly injured when his younger brother Pravin Mahajan shot at him at his Mumbai residence on April 22. The senior BJP leader, who underwent three operations within the first seven days, had developed an acute respiratory distress syndrome on Monday, which became more and more difficult to contain for the doctors attending on him. In a last-ditch effort, the doctors at the hospital had conducted a Bronchoscopy on 56-year-old Mahajan earlier on Tuesday to identify the cause of his airway problems such as bleeding, difficulty in breathing or inflammation from other lung diseases. Bronchoscopy is generally used to diagnose lung diseases by collecting tissue or mucus (sputum) samples for biopsy and to determine lung cancer. A Bronchoscopy is also used to remove objects blocking the airway and evaluate and treat growths in the airway. It also controls bleeding (hemoptysis). All vital organs of Mahajan were on artificial support system since April 22. He was constantly on ventilator and dialysis support. Mahajan still had three bullets embedded in his body and they seemed to have caused extensive damage to his vital organs.

     Mahajan was shot thrice by his younger brother Pravin at around 8 a.m.(IST) on April 22. A 9 mm Browning revolver was used in the attack. Reports said that the two had argued over a property dispute, but Mahajan's second brother, Prakash, denied this saying there was no dispute as there was no property. Pravin, a building contractor, lives in suburban Thane and came to Mahajan's home in a car. After the incident, he surrendered at the Worli police station and was arrested. Pravin told the police that Mahajan ill-treated and humiliated him. According to the police, three shots were fired at Mahajan. One missed and two hit Mahajan in the body and chest. The bullets severed the main vein in Mahajan's abdomen, shattered the right side of the liver, the top of his pancreas and damaged the small intestine, doctors at Hinduja Hospital said. It took doctors a major surgery and almost four days to stop bleeding from his liver. But Mahajan's kidneys started malfunctioning from Day Five and he had to be put on dialysis. Mahajan's family flew in an Australian ortho-trauma specialist to Mumbai to support the medical services offered to the BJP leader. There was also a British expert attending on Mahajan from day two.

Mahajan's death proves predictions wrong
by Sandeep Datta

      New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party's General Secretary Pramod Mahajan breathed his last at 4.10 this afternoon, after struggling for 12 days for life at P.D.Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. But more than anyone it is the astrologer's fraternity who would be disappointed on going absolutely wrong in predicting BJP's vivacious leader's life span. On astrological front, Mahajan was never predicted to be shot by anyone this year at least. If K.Gopalakrishnan was to be believed, 57-year-old Mahajan should have donned the mantle of president or prime minister in 2009. Gopalakrishnan is regarded as one of South India's leading astrologers, and his prediction on Mahajan appeared on a website (http://sify.com/lifestyle/astrology/fullstory). "Pramod Mahajan will continue to be successful in Indian politics, and will get elected once again. He has very good chances of holding the highest post in Indian polity - like Prime Minister or the President. Mahajan's powerful Mercury Maha Dasa is unfolding from 2009, which will give him a great lift in BJP," Gopalakrishnan said. Another astrologist, Dr. Prem Kumar Sharma, had said that Mahajan might occupy a good office in 2007 despite a fluctuating time till December 2006. This prediction appeared on the website http://www.karmicastro.com/pramod_mahajan1.htm. "It was that Rahu from 18-02-2004 to 26-12-2006 would be a period of mixed fortunes. This is in 11th house and under aspect of Jupiter it is propitious but in Navamsa it is in 9th house and thus not poised for as good result as in 11th house. But this period would lay foundation for him to occupy a good office in the years 2007 to 2013 during these years he would be running Saturn-Jupiter,Merc-Merc,Merc-Ketu,Merc-Ven (1/3)," said Sharma.

     But what has really set the cat among the pigeons is former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee's endorsement of Mahajan as a future leader of the country. At a public speech, he rather enigmatically had said that Mahajan and Advani would continue to "lead the party". Earlier, Vajpayee's comments on Pramod Mahajan's projection as the future prime ministerial candidate had led to many BJP leaders raising eyebrows. It caused a lot of heartburn in a party. The politically savvy Mahajan was seen as a "technocrat" leader, sans a firm grassroots political base.

Mahajan, BJP's man of all seasons

       New Delhi: Pramod Mahajan can truly be identified as the man for all seasons for the Bharatiya Janata Party since his advent in politics in the mid-1970s. Born in Andhra Pradesh's Mehboobnagar, 56-year-old Pramod Mahajan was the son of Venkatesh Devidsas Mahajan. He was married to Rekha on March 11, 1972 when he was just 23 years of age. Apart from his wife, he is surived by his son and daughter. A post-graduate in political science from the University of Pune, Pramod had also acquired college degrees in physics and journalism from the Yogeshwari Mahavidyala Beed and the University of Aurangabad, respectively. Beginning his career in politics as a social worker, Mahajan gradually made his way up the political ladder of the BJP. He first came into prominence as the General Secretary of the BJP in Maharashtra from 1978 to 1983. Thereafter, he made quick strides towards the central unit of the party and represented the BJP in Parliament from 1986 onward. He was the country's Defence Minister in 1996, Prime Minister Atal Behair Vajpayee's political advisor in 1998 and was also the Minister of Information and Technology between 1999 and 2004. He was also the party's key political strategist for the states of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Other important posts held by Pramod Mahajan included President of All India BJYM (1986), Chairman,Committee on Transport and Tourism(1994-96). Pramod Mahajan also had the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe, America, China and South East Asia. Probably, the most prolific leader among Bharatiya Janata Party's second generation, Pramod Mahajan always courted controversies and remained the target of envy and attack in and outside his party.

    A great survivor in the turbulent Indian politics, Mahajan was known for his oratory both in Marathi and Hindi languages, his organisational competence and his capabilities to raise fund in any political crisis. A master in managing big shots from various walks of life, Mahajan was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 but failed to establish himself as a leader of masses. He earned a great deal of respect from his proponents and opponents who always acknowledged his skills in dealing with people and finances for BJP. During the Emergency (1975-77), Mahajan was lodged in the Nasik Central Jail. Mahajan was always involved in major decisions of the BJP. He is also credited with building a consensus for Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's candidacy for the country's Presidency and the party's victory in the Rajasthan Assembly polls in December 2003. In political circles, Mahajan was always looked upon as a right- hand man of senior BJP leader Lal Krishan Advani. His political closeness to the one of the stalwarts of the BJP brass, brought him closer to Vajpayee. His flamboyant style, however, never went down well with the Sangh Parivar, which always resisted his ascension. He was widely held responsible for the NDA's debacle in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections which saw his hi-tech poll managers using every cell phone and landline to bombard voters with election messages. Mahajan was always the party's ultimate showman.

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