Tarun Gogoi

Guwahati, July 29: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi will be flown to Mumbai from New Delhi at 10am tomorrow to undergo a bypass heart surgery and aortic valve replacement at the Asian Heart Institute (AHI).

Gogoi will be accompanied by his wife Dolly, cardiologist Anjan Kumar Bhattacharyya, special protocol officer Bipul Gogoi, Saurav Senapati, extra assistant commissioner (CMO), family member Ima Gohain, and two officials attached to the chief minister’s security — M.I. Mandal and Mantu Thakuria.

The chief minister was released from Delhi’s Max Hospital last evening and is currently staying at his brother and MP Deep Gogoi’s residence at 6 Teen Murti Lane in the national capital.

Assam chief secretary N.K. Das today contacted his Maharashtra counterpart J.S. Dange over phone to enquire about an “unwell” Gogoi being shifted to Mumbai and ensure that the chief minister and those accompanying him are provided necessary security and accommodation.

Official sources told The Telegraph that according to schedule, Gogoi is expected to reach Mumbai at noon and admitted to the AHI at 12.25pm.

“The chief minister will undergo some tests under the supervision of Dr Ramakanta Panda, the vice-chairman of AHI and renowned cardiovascular thoracic surgeon. The results of medical investigations will be taken into account while fixing the exact date of bypass surgery and valve replacement. Panda examined the condition of Gogoi last night as well as this morning in New Delhi,” the source said.

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and home minister P. Chidambaram called on Gogoi and wished him an early recovery. Music maestro Bhupen Hazarika also inquired about Gogoi’s condition over phone.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Gogoi late this evening.

The news of the impending surgery is likely to see Dispur plunge into a state of limbo going by the overall mood at the secretariat. There was less than usual activity with the topic of discussion being Gogoi’s health, his absence from office and about the interim arrangement of an acting chief minister.

Till this evening, there has been no such decision, a CMO source said.