thackeray: Uddhav Thackeray may back BJP’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu to avoid split in Sena MPs

Compelled on the again foot by the insurrection by a majority of its MLAs, the Shiv Sena group underneath Uddhav Thackeray is contemplating saying its help to BJP’s presidential candidate, Draupadi Murmu, to stop one other break up within the social gathering, now amongst its Lok Sabha members.

On Monday, throughout a gathering known as by Thackeray to establish the views of the MPs in each Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, an amazing variety of them informed him that they felt that the social gathering ought to help Murmu, social gathering insiders stated.

Whereas the previous Maharashtra chief minister and a few of his shut aides will not be eager to help Murmu’s candidature, the Sena management is veering in the direction of a view that they should forestall one other insurrection, social gathering sources stated.

Within the assembly that lasted for greater than two hours, near a dozen MPs, particularly from the Lok Sabha, echoed the view that it will be higher if the social gathering voted for the BJP candidate as she is a girl and an Adivasi. A number of MPs additionally stated Sena help for Murmu might even pave the best way for a future alliance with the BJP, the sources stated. An analogous plea had been made by MLAs loyal to Thackeray after the Sena insurrection earlier than they crossed over to the Shinde camp.

The BJP is overtly warning that if the Shiv Sena didn’t hearken to its MPs, then there could possibly be one other break up amongst its members within the Lok Sabha. “He (Thackeray) also needs to hearken to his personal voice and his MPs. If they do not take a call (in favour of the BJP candidate) then there could also be a break up amongst its MPs too,” stated BJP chief Girish Mahajan.

For the file, the assembly concluded with the MPs authorising social gathering president Thackeray to decide. Thackeray is claimed to have informed the MPs that he would take a few days after which announce his determination. The MPs arguing for the Sena to help Murmu stated they anticipated the choice sooner. Thackeray can also be evaluating how his allies within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Congress and NCP, would react if his social gathering introduced its help for Murmu as a substitute of Sinha, social gathering insiders stated.

BJP has despatched feelers to the Thackeray camp that if the Sena introduced its help, then Murmu, who is meant to go to Mumbai on July 14, may additionally meet the previous CM to thank him for expressing his social gathering’s help to her candidature.

In the meantime, the Thackeray camp has approached the EC, demanding that it mustn’t make any determination on allocating the bow and arrow image to every other group with out listening to its facet.