A love-hate relationship

The friendship between Shiv Sena supremo, the late Bal Thackeray, and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is a much debated topic in Maharashtra politics. Both had launched scathing attacks against each other, but never crossed the limit to jeopardise their personal relationship. Pawar reminisced about some of those moments while recently inaugurating an art gallery set up in the memory of Thackeray, who was an acclaimed cartoonist. Pawar recalled how Thackeray extended his party's support to Pawar's daughter Supriya for her election to the Rajya Sabha and also assured him that he would convince ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Eyebrows were raised when Pawar went on showering praise on Thackeray senior, given that the tension between the ruling coalition of the BJP and the Shiv Sena is all too palpable, as both sides continue to trade charges against one another. Is Pawar trying to script a new chapter keeping the Shiv Sena in mind? The BJP is surely watching it closely.