Shiv Sena will support Draupadi Murmu in Presidential elections, says Uddhav Thackeray

MUMBAI: In a big boost to Draupadi Murmu's candidature, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that his party will fully support the NDA’s presidential candidate. “Shiv Sena will support Draupadi Murmu for the upcoming Presidential elections,” Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was quoted as saying by ANI.

Shiv Sena will support Droupadi Murmu for Presidential elections: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/Y6LrGWdlVc

— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2022

It may be noted that a majority of Shiv Sena MPs had earlier appealed to their party president to announce support for Draupadi Murmu since she was a tribal woman and a good candidate for the top Constitutional post.

Earlier, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut, in an interview with a leading daily, had said, “The Shiv Sena does what it thinks is right. In the past also we have extended support to Congress nominee T N Seshan and UPA nominees like Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee. The Sena has the tradition of going beyond politics. We believe in backing people in the national interest.”

Murmu, in all probability, is most likely to be elected since the ruling NDA has the required numbers. She will then be the first tribal woman to be President of India. Murmu's Tribal identity is a big factor in Maharashtra, where nearly 10 per cent of the population is of Scheduled Tribes. The point also reflected in Sanjay Raut's reply to a question on Shiv Sena supporting Murmu. 

While clarifying his party’s stand, Raul said, “Draupadi Murmu is the first tribal woman likely to be the President of India. There is a lot of tribal population in Maharashtra. There are a lot of Shiv Sainiks who come from tribal areas. There are MLAs too…The decision of supporting Draupadi Murmu doesn’t mean we are supporting the BJP.”

However, Raut also made it clear that support for Murmu does not mean support for its estranged former ally BJP.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde today announced support for Draupadi Murmu for the Presidential elections. "All our MLAs will vote for her under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi," CM Shinde said. 

The presidential elections will be held on July 18. NDA nominee Murmu faces Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.