Uddhav Thackeray, the Shiv Sena chief, wished a long, healthy life to Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar turns 79 today and among the first to wish him were Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who gifted him the title of "guide".
Mr Thackeray, the Shiv Sena chief, wished a long, healthy life to Mr Pawar, describing him as "the guiding light of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government" in the state.
Mr Pawar is credited with achieving the impossible by bringing together the ideologically mismatched Sena-NCP-Congress coalition in Maharashtra after more than month of turmoil. The Sena broke up with long-time ally BJP to partner with the NCP and Congress in an alliance that facilitated Mr Thackeray's rise to chief ministership
PM Modi also tweeted a greeting. "Greetings to Sharad Pawarji on his birthday. Praying for his long and healthy life," wrote the Prime Minister.
PM Modi has often praised the veteran in the past and also gave a shout out to the NCP last month but things may be a bit more awkward now after Mr Pawar recently said the Prime Minister had suggested they "work together" and he had turned it down.
Mr Pawar's daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule tweeted in Marathi: "Dear Baba, you are a constant source of energy for us. You gave us the bright legacy of ideology and also the strength to tread on it.. Baba, boundless birthday greetings to you. Wishing you long healthy life."
The NCP is marking its chief's birthday across Maharashtra as a day of thanksgiving to farmers. The party has contributed to a welfare fund and says around Rs 80 lakh has been raised for the welfare of farmers across the state.
Celebrations took place in Mumbai outside the YB Chavan Centre with a 'Lezim' dance, the beating of drums, dancing and coloured powder as thousands turned up to greet the leader.
Mr Pawar started his political career with the Congress and rose to become Maharashtra's youngest Chief Minister in 1978. He later served as minister in the governments of PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh at the centre. In 1999, he broke away from the Congress and formed the NCP.
The NCP was virtually a write-off in Maharashtra until Mr Pawar's exhaustive campaign - he even addressed rallies in the rain - for the October state polls that saw the party place number three, just two behind the Shiv Sena and in a position to count in the power tussle.