Mumbai, July 27: Braving incessant rains, hundreds of Shivsainiks thronged the residence of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray here to greet party executive president Uddhav Thackeray, who turned 43 today. Scores of Sena workers from various parts of Maharashtra lined up on the road leading to `matoshree', Thackeray's suburban Bandra residence, to greet the party executive president.

"Amid chants of "Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji" and "Uddhav Thackery zindabad", sweets were distributed by the boisterous Sainiks even as Maharashtra's traditional folk art 'Lezim' was performed.

This was Uddhav's first birthday after he was anointed as the political heir of the Sena patriarch earlier this year. Uddhav, who is conducting tours across the state to mobilise public opinion against the Congress-led DF government, said, "I am really happy to receive this kind of core affection from the Shivsainiks."

Uddhav, clad in a cream-coloured kurta and sporting a `kumkum-tilak', also cut the cake brought by party worker Anil Parab.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and other party MPs and MLAs greeted Uddhav on the occasion. Various programmes like blood donation camps and distribution of sweets to orphanages were undertaken by Shivsainiks across the metropolis.

Bureau Report