Sympathising with the neglect of state Power and Works Department Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in the Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has said he would have been much better off had he remained in the Sena.

In a hard-hitting editorial in Shiv Sena's the paper Saamana headlined 'Chhagan, why has this happened to you?', Thackeray said the Congress first lifted Bhujbal, who was once his prot�g�, to the sky when it suited its interest and then dumped him when the purpose was served.

The editorial highlights how Bhujbal, who joined the Congress in 1993 after being in the Shiv Sena for 25 years, was being sidelined and neglected in the NCP.

"Bhujbal was the product of Shiv Sena. This readymade product was lifted by Sharad Pawar [Images], used to his advantage and when it served the purpose it was made to rot," the editorial said.

It said history bears testimony to the fact that those who ditched Shiv Sena were never happy and their condition became like beggars.

The editorial also underscored how on Bhujbal's 60^th birthday, it was BJP leader Gopinath Munde who was present to wish and celebrate while the NCP leaders were absent.

The editorial also described how Bhujbal, once like a canon in Shiv Sena, was reduced to a water-pistol in the NCP.