Uddhav Thackeray backs Droupadi Murmu after Sena MPs' plea

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 12

In the first signs of thaw between the BJP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister on Tuesday broke ranks with allies NCP and Congress to announce support for NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.

Explaining his decision that “shocked” the allies, Uddhav said there was no pressure on him to back Murmu and he was doing so only because this was the first time a tribal woman leader was contesting for the highest office in the country.

“There is no pressure on me to back Droupadi Murmu. Considering the prevailing political atmosphere, I should not have supported her because she is the BJP’s nominee. But we are not narrow-minded.... This is the first occasion when a tribal woman has been nominated to run for the President’s office,” Uddhav said, inviting a sharp reaction from the Congress, which described the move as “unfathomable”.

Maharashtra Congress veteran Balasaheb Thorat said the Shiv Sena was a component of the erstwhile ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi but it had not discussed the Murmu decision with it.

“It is unfathomable why the Sena is supporting Murmu after the government that Uddhav Thackeray led was undemocratically brought down. The presidential election is a battle of ideologies and individuals do not matter in this battle,” Thorat said, adding that the Sena was free to take its call.

Uddhav’s announcement came a day after party MPs urged him not only to back Murmu but also rebuild ties with the BJP, whom they called a natural ally.

Sena sources said 16 Sena MPs attended a meeting at Uddhav’s residence yesterday and most of them termed the alliance with the Congress and NCP “unnatural”.

The Sena has 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha. It remains to be seen if Uddhav, after declaring support to Murmu, will also mend ties with the BJP and the breakaway Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction. As of today, 15 Sena MLAs are with Uddhav and 40 have gone with Shinde.

Many Sena’s MPs, too, have appealed to Uddhav to reconnect with the BJP, a call he needs to take. Pressure on Uddhav to retrace his alliance with the BJP and buy peace with Shinde will intensify in the run-up to the upcoming BMC poll. The former CM’s strength in the MC arena looks weak.

On Tuesday, however, Uddhav sought to make the Murmu announcement sound routine. “Tribal leaders of my party told me this is the first time a woman from the ST community was getting a chance to become President. Respecting their views, we have decided to back Droupadi Murmu’s candidature....We also received representations from nomadic tribes and Scheduled Tribes communities to back Droupadi Murmu,” the ex CM said. With Sena backing Murmu, her vote share in the Presidential Electoral College goes well past 60 per cent.

Pressure on ex-CM to reconnect with BJP

• Uddhav’s announcement comes a day after Sena MPs urged him not only to back Murmu but also rebuild ties with ‘natural ally’ BJP
• As of now, 15 Sena MLAs are with Uddhav and 40 with CM Eknath Shinde

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