MNS leaders pray for Bal Thackeray's recovery

The deteriorating health of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray has prompted the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena cadres to seek divine intervention.

Since most of the party workers and leaders owed their allegiance to their parent organisation Shiv Sena before they crossed over to the MNS, floated by senior Thackeray's nephew, the failing health of the patriarch has made them worried.

"Nearly fifty MNS party men paid obeisance at prominent pilgrimage centres like Pandharpur, Tuljapur and Akkalkot for the good health of Balasaheb," said a MNS legislator.

The latest development came when Bal Thackeray, who failed to attend the conventional Dussehra rally of the party in October owing to his ill health, appealed to party workers to "look after Uddhav and Aditya (Bal Thackeray's grandson) as he was not keeping well".

Much water has flown down the bridge since MNS chief Raj Thackeray floated his own outfit after a bitter feud with his uncle.

Raj, accompanied by wife Sharmila, had recently visited Thackeray's residence Matoshree in suburban Mumbai to inquire about his uncle's health.

According to sources in the MNS, "a party MLA also performed a special ritual at Tuljapur along with his family members and partymen for the good health of Balasaheb".

Raj had also rushed to a suburban hospital in October to be at the bedside of his estranged cousin Uddhav, who had undergone an angioplasty in July, and then driven him to 'Matoshree', fuelling speculations of thaw between the estranged cousins.