The Congress party on Thursday wished good health to ailing Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh told reporters here: "We are praying for his good health... The way he has fought in life with great courage, I am confident he will also battle this ill health."

The 86-year-old Thackeray has been battling breathing problems. Crowds gathered outside his residence in Mumbai as news spread that he was in critical condition.