Indicating a further thaw in the personal relations between the two estranged cousins, Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray sent a bouquet of flowers to Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on his 52nd birthday on Friday.
MNS functionary Sachin More delivered the flowers to the Thackeray family at ‘Matoshree’ in suburban Bandra. Uddhav’s wife Rashmi accepted the greetings.
Uddhav, who turned 52, spent his birthday quietly at his residence with the family. Recuperating after an angioplasty performed on him last Friday, Uddhav did not celebrate his birthday.
Moreover, his father Bal Thackeray is also currently in Lilavati Hospital, adding to the sombre mood in the party which normally celebrates its top leaders’ birthdays with great fanfare.
Besides, the party official pointed out that Maharashtra is suffering a drought-like situation in many parts and it would not be proper to celebrate the birthday at such a juncture.
However, this did not deter his admirers and well-wishers from putting up posters and banners in several parts of the city, suburbs and other major cities in the state, greeting Uddhav on his birthday and wishing him speedy recovery.
Outside his residence ‘Matoshri’ in Bandra east, it was quiet and peaceful without the usual crowds of party activists thronging there to wish him.
Earlier, Raj, who formed his own party in 2006 after a leadership tussle with Uddhav in the Shiv Sena, had joined his cousin at his sickbed when he had been admitted to the Lilavati Hospital for an angiography. Raj was also present with his mother Kundatai and family during Uddhav’s angioplasty. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde met Sena chief
Bal Thackeray in the Lilavati Hospital on Friday.
