Thackeray hints at Shiv Sena's support to Supriya Sule

Mumbai, Sep 6 (UNI) Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has hinted that his party could support Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule's candidature for the Rajya Sabha.

In an editorial in today's issue of Marathi daily ''Saamna'' of which he is the editor, Mr Thackeray said that he ''warmly welcome'' Supriya's candidature, and also lauded her social work among women and children belonging to nomadic tribes in rural areas.

Mr Thackeray described the NCP president's decision to nominate his daughter for the vacant RS seat as his ''first politically good decision.'' The Sena supremo said he would be closely watching Supriya's career graph not because she was Mr Pawar's daughter, but because she had carved a niche for herself in the field of education and welfare of nomadic tribes.

''Despite being the daughter of Maharashtra's foremost political leader and her own party's government in the state, she has been doing rounds of Mantralaya to get required permissions and grants for her programmes for ashram schools. I have also not forgotten her anguish and anger at the functioning of the bureaucracy'', Mr Thackeray said.

The Sena Chief said Supriya's skills as a politician are yet to be tested. Referring to his close family ties with the Pawar family, he noted he had known Supriya since her birth. ''She is used to and aware of the hectic life in politics since childhood. She is unlike those politicians' kin who stake claim to their fathers' legacy without any work of their own. Supriya is into social work for atleast ten years and she has consolidated her grassroot base. If the grassroot base is strong, the highest peak can be achieved. Mr Pawar had the backing of his political guru Y B Chavan and Supriya has her father as her political guru,'' he said.

Mr Thackeray also had a piece of advice for Supriya.

''She should prove that she is different from the usual breed of politicians. All newcomers enter politics claiming to cleanse it but after sometime they too become part of the crowd,'' he said.

Criticising the NCP and Congress for sticking to each other for the sake of power, Mr Thackeray said,''recently, Congress raised a hue and cry about Sena-BJP and NCP coming together to get Rahul Bajaj elected in the Rajya Sabha, in the byelection neccessitated due to the death of Pramod Mahajan. But, Congress did not dare to pull out of the government on this issue. Secularism is practiced for self interests and gaining power''.

Similarly, Mr Thackeray said despite ill-treatment by the Congress, Mr Pawar continues to share power with his former party and its president Sonia Gandhi.

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