Patna : Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj was on Tuesday evening taken to a hospital in Patna after she suffered from a bout of exhaustion.

Accompanying Bharatiya Janata Party  veteran L K Advani  on his Jan Chetna Yatra, Swaraj was travelling to the Gandhi maidan in Patna from Hajipur when her health dipped.

The senior BJP leader, a diabetic, was immediately shifted to Patna-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in an ambulance. However, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy refused to confirm that she was hospitalised.  Rudy told rediff.com from Patna over the telephone that she was taken to her hotel room after she complaint of exhaustion. 

Swaraj felt uneasy after Advani’s rath yatra had been flagged off by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. According to Rudy, Swaraj was taken ill due to exhaustion.

“She complaint of weakness and asked for medical help soon after the yatra left Hajipur for Patna. Her condition is stable but she is under observation,” another senior BJP leader added.

Swaraj was one of the few senior party leaders including Arun Jaitley , Ananth Kumar, Ravi Shanar Prasad and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar  Modi accompanying Advani.

Swaraj had addressed the public meeting before the start of the yatra. She did not show any signs of illness then, said BJP insiders.

Meanwhile, the yatra is running over five hours behind the schedule.