Shiv Sena to support Draupadi Murmu in Presidential election: Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, July 12: Shiv Sena will support the BJP-led NDA's candidate Draupadi Murmu, in the Presidential polls on July 18, party president Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday.

The decision comes a day after 16 of the party's 22 MPs urged Thackeray to support her "because she is a woman from a tribal community".

Thackeray said the Sena is announcing support to Murmu without any pressure. Nobody pressured me in the meeting of Sena MPs, he added.

"Tribal leaders of my party told me that this was the first time that a tribal woman is getting the chance to become the President, he said.

Actually, going by the present political atmosphere, I should not have backed her. But we are not narrow minded, he said.

A unified opposition have chosen former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha as the candidate for the next president of India. The BJP led NDA on the other hand chose a former Jharkhand governor, tribal leader from Odisha, Draupadi Murmu as the next presidential candidate.

Murmu (64), a former Jharkhand governor, will be the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post if she is elected, a strong possibility as numbers are stacked in favour of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

With her nomination, the BJP is sending out a significant political message after elevating a Dalit, Ram Nath Kovind, to the top post five years back. The Presidential election will be held on July 18. Elected MPs and MLAs constitute the electoral college. Nominated MPs and MLAs and members of legislative councils cannot vote in the presidential election.

Notably, there is no whip or Presidential elections and the MPs can vote according to their will.