Presidential polls: Shiv Sena MPs back NDA's Droupadi Murmu in party meeting, Uddhav Thackeray to decide on it soon

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Monday received yet another blow as seven of the total 19 MPs remained absent at the five-hour long meeting convened by him to discuss the political developments and also the party’s stand on the Presidential election. Most of the MPs made a strong case for supporting NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu and not for Yashwant Sinha, the opposition’s nominee.

They did not stop there, and also pitched for joining hands with the BJP to remain politically relevant and also for retaining party’s seats in the next Lok Sabha election.

The seven MPs who were absent were Shrikant Shinde (CM Eknath Shinde’s son), Bhavan Gawali, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Mandlik, Hemant Patil, Krupal Tumane and Kalaben Delkar.

Minutes after the meeting, the Shinde camp spokesman Deepak Kesarkar made an emotional appeal to Thackeray to bless and support the Shinde-Fadnavis government. “We sincerely request the party president, but it is up to him to make a decision. I am confident that Saheb (Uddhav Thackeray) will bless us. It was improper that the NCP and the Congress had planned to politically finish the Shiv Sena, and therefore a Shiv Sena-BJP government has been formed in the state which will benefit both,” he noted.

Shiv Sena’s most-vocal MP Sanjay Raut, who the rebel MLAs hold responsible for the present crisis, was isolated at the meeting as he pitched for party’s support to Sinha, even as most of the MPs urged Thackeray to extend support to Murmu. Party MPs Rahul Shewale and Rajendra Gavit have already demanded that the Shiv Sena must support tribal leader Murmu.

The Monday meeting was important as Murmu will be in Mumbai for campaigning on July 14, while Sinha will visit on July 17. Party insiders claim that Thackeray will soon announce the decision to vote for Murmu as the party had in the past supported UPA nominees Pratibhatai Patil and Pranab Mukherjee in 2007 and 2012.

A Shiv Sena MP, who was present at the meeting, told the Free Press Journal, “Most of the MPs demanded that party president Uddhav Thackeray should soon take a call on joining hands with the Shinde camp and the estranged ally BJP to revive the party ahead of the next assembly and Lok Sabha elections.” He said the BJP has emerged as a party with pan-India reach and, logically, the Shiv Sena should remain with it.

He said on condition of anonymity, “The Shiv Sena won’t grow and consolidate if it continues its alliance with the NCP and the Congress.” He added that if Thackeray yields, then the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s existence will face a bleak future in the state.