Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray
condoled the death of Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh here
this evening, describing him as a "jovial" person.
"It is hard to believe (that Deshmukh is no more)...A
joivial man has left us. He was not that old," Thackeray said
in a statement.
Deshmukh left his own imprint on the politics, the
sena patriarch said.
Thackeray also recalled Deshmukh's cheerful
personality, especially his repartee, and his verbal duels
with BJP leader Gopinath Munde, and also his famed friendship
with cabinet colleague Sushilkumar Shinde.
