Maharashtra leaders pay tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray

Mumbai: As a sign of growing bonhomie between the parties of MahaShivAghadi, the leaders of NCP and Congress made a beeline for Shivaji Park to pay homage to late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray on his seventh death anniversary.

The term ‘MahaShivAghadi’ has been coined for the proposed grand alliance of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, which are planning to form a government in the state.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar offered tributes to the late leader through Twitter: “Late Balasaheb created a Marathi `manoos’ who carried his regional identity with pride. He received unconditional and ever-lasting love from his followers for his politics of putting society first, for his oratory and his straightforward stand.”

Senior NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil, and Congress leader Bhai Jagtap visited the Shivaji Park memorial and paid homage to the late Sena founder. Balasaheb made a great contribution in the formation of Maharashtra, Mr Jagtap said.

In an apparent show of strength, Sena leaders and workers reached the spot in large numbers. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his family members, including son and newly-elected MLA Aaditya, visited Balasaheb’s memorial at Shivaji Park along with other top party leaders. Later in the evening, Eknath Shinde, who has been elected as leader of Sena’s legislative party, also visited the memorial to pay homage.

Balasaheb passed away on November 17, 2012 at the age of 86. He founded the Sena in 1966 and was its undisputed leader until his death. An eminent cartoonist before turning to politics, Balasaheb and his party rose to electoral prominence in the 1990s amid the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. In 1995, his party came to power in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party.