Leaders of various political parties on Tuesday paid rich tributes to slain Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan at a meeting in Mumbai.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar said Mahajan had risen from a middle-class background in Marathwada region, without any financial or political backing.

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"Even senior BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Kishenchand Advani remained in the four-corners of their party set-up and did indulge in communication with leaders of other parties, but Mahajan crossed those four-corners and developed rapport with leaders of all parties," Pawar said.

Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi said Mahajan was responsible for forming and maintaining the Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra. "He had a lion's share in ushering in the Sena-BJP rule in the state in 1995," Joshi said.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said Mahajan maintained coordination with all leaders. "His demise is a loss to the
nation," he said.

Caption: (From L - R) Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi, late Pramod Mahajan's son Rahul and BJP leader Gopinath Munde against a huge poster of Mahajan at an all-party condolence meet in Mumbai.

Photograph: Arun Patil