New Delhi: Shiv Sena MPs who attended a meeting held by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai today encouraged the party to back NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. After the meeting, Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar told NDTV that all 16 MPs agreed that Draupadi Murmu ‘is a tribal lady, and that’s why they should vote for her’. Maharashtra has a sizable tribal population. There is no whip or Presidential elections, and MPs can vote how they like.
So the statement by the MPs, who are all Uddhav Thackeray supporters, might signal a shift in the party’s attitude, which has previously supported the joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. Mr Thackeray is anticipated to make a decision in the coming days. Mr Thackeray, whose administration collapsed last month following the revolt of the current Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, is battling to keep control of the party founded by his father, Balasaheb Thackeray.
He named a new Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha last week, regarded as an attempt to shield the parliamentary party from the schism. Mr. Thackeray convened today’s meeting to test the waters amid the current situation. Six Sena MPs did not attend, including Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde. The Sena has 19 Lok Sabha seats and three Rajya Sabha seats.
The offer to support Draupadi Murmu has already surfaced, indicating a schism among the MPs. Sena MP Rahul Shewale, a Shinde faction supporter, has persuaded Mr. Thackeray to vote for the NDA candidate. Mr. Thackeray, however, had not responded. Today, Sanjay Raut, a party MP considered to be close to Mr. Thackeray, left without speaking to the media. Mr. Raut is said to be opposed to supporting Draupadi Murmu and is yet willing to support Yashwant Sinha.
Sena’s Arvind Sawant, an Uddhav Thackeray supporter, told NDTV last week: ‘We are the Shiv Sena. We have 19 members of parliament. Those who choose to depart may resign and depart. And if they want to construct a conspiracy like this one, like the one that occurred in the Assembly, it should be two-thirds – not fewer than 12 MPs. Are there 13 MPs with them?’
A few Sena votes may not have a significant impact on the result of the Presidential elections, in which the government looks to have a numerical advantage thanks to the backing of Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal and Nitish Kumar’s Rashtriya Janata Dal.
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