Joshi, 86, was rushed to the P.D. Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and was taken to the ICU under the care of a team of senior doctors and neurosurgeons.

A hospital medical bulletin said this afternoon that he was brought there in an emergency semicoma condition, but breathing on his own, and not on a ventilator.

His condition was described as 'stable, but continues to need critical management', as per the statement.

Former CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and other family members and party leaders rushed to the hospital to enquire after Joshi's health.

Joshi was the first Shiv Sena CM for four years (1995-1999) when the party bagged power in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later, he served as the Speaker of Lok Sabha (2002-2004) during the tenure of the late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, becoming only the second from the state after the Congress' Shivraj Patil (1991-1996) to occupy the august office.