Sena chief’s elder sister passes away

Noted Marathi writer and columnist Sushila Hemantkumar Gupte, elder sister of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, died in Mumbai on Sunday after a brief illness. Gupte (91) is survived by her son Pankaj Gupte, a music director, reports HT Correspondent.

Noted Marathi writer and columnist Sushila Hemantkumar Gupte, elder sister of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, died in Mumbai on Sunday after a brief illness. Gupte (91) is survived by her son Pankaj Gupte, a music director.

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“Bal Thackeray, his son Uddhav Thackeray and other family members, had left for a brief vacation to Mahabaleshwar on Sunday morning, but Uddhav returned for the last rites and will join the family later,” a senior party functionary said.

A widow, she used to take active part in Sena politics till a few years ago. She had been ailing for some time and breathed her last at her Bandra home.

Thackeray’s visit to Mahabaleshwar in the chilling winter season also fuelled speculations of his possible political discussion with son as well as an attempt to send message across rank and cadre about his well being.

It was in Mahabaleshwar in 2005, the Sena chief selected his son as political heir, ignoring nephew Raj.

Thackeray senior has been unwell since last few months and his health restrictions reflected during the recently held Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. Because of his health constraints, Thackeray could not take part in the poll campaign.

At the hill station, the father-son duo is staying at “Four Oaks”, a bunglow owned by Pune based builder Avinash Bhosale.