Murmu to meet NDA MPs, MLAs in Assam to seek support for presidential poll

GUWAHATI: NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu arrived here late on Tuesday night to seek support for the July 18 poll and will meet MPs and legislators of the ruling BJP and its allies the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United Peoples' Party Liberal (UPPL).

Accompanied by Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Murmu arrived here from Manipur's capital Imphal and was received at the airport by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The NDA presidential candidate's visit to Assam is part of her campaign for the election. She will have a meeting with MPs and MLAs of the BJP and its allies at a city hotel here on Wednesday to seek votes, party sources here said.

The BJP has nine Lok Sabha MPs and four parliamentarians in the Upper house while the AGP and the UPPL have one each in Rajya Sabha.

The 126-member legislative assembly currently comprises 78 MLAs of the ruling NDA with the BJP having 62 legislators, while its allies AGP and UPPL have nine and seven respectively.

AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal said that his party will also support Murmu. The party has Ajmal as the lone MP in the Lok Sabha besides 15 MLAs in the state legislature.

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha is the joint opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential poll and is also scheduled to visit Assam to seek votes from members of parties supporting him.