Thackeray wants to be friends with Pawar

Extending best wishes to old friend and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on his birthday on Monday, Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray advised him to "forget" the bygones and think of future as far as the latter's prime ministerial ambitions were concerned.

"I have always given my best wishes to Pawar to become the prime minister but he will say that dreaming of becoming prime minister, when his party has just nine members, is like living in a fool's paradise," Thackeray said in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece "Saamna". "Pawar is right. But there are examples of people becoming prime ministers in this democracy when they did not have the support of even a single MP," the Sena Chief said.

"A player like you knows what can happen in the present unstable and coalition politics," Thackeray said. The Sena chief said "there was a time when we had a good friendship with 'Sharad babu' (Pawar).

He cited an incident when Pawar, his wife and daughter had visited the Thackeray home for dinner. Although it was late, Pawar insisted on driving to Baramati, Thackeray said. While praising Pawar, Thackeray also criticised the latter's turnaround vis-a-vis Sonia Gandhi. "Earlier, Pawar had had great animosity towards Sonia Gandhi, but what is the status today?" Thackeray asked.