BJP leaders hopeful of Mahajan's recovery

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) Senior BJP leaders here are hopeful that BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan, who was shot at by his youngest brother in Mumbai on last Saturday, would soon be declared ''out of danger'' by doctors.

His vital organs -- brain, heart, lungs and spinal cord -- are unaffected by the three bullets that hit him from close range. ''He has already survived 80 hours and we feel that there will be faster improvement from now onwards, '' a close confidant of Mr Mahajan said.

Sources said Mr Mahajan had displayed strong will power to survive and after he was shot at he asked his family members to move him to Hinduja hospital. He was fully conscious on reaching the hospital for about 15 minutes and he even told the doctors about his diabetic problems and the medicines he had been taking. On his way to the hospital, he asked his brother-in-law Gopinath Munde what sin he had committed that prompted his brother to pump bullets into him.

There was no delay in reaching the hospital because being early morning hours there was no traffic jam and the the doctors, who were readying themselves to perform surgery on another patient, were able to attend to Mr Mahajan immediately.

About the reasons and motive for his younger brother to shoot him, sources said as an elder brother Pramod had helped Praveen in every possible way but the latter was not successful in any of the ventures. Having realised the futility, Mr Mahajan had ensured that his brother's family got enough money to survive. This aspect might have irked him no end, the sources said.

UNI KAS MCN RL VP1845