Thackeray may extend support to NDA nominees as it had supported UPA nominees in the 2007 and 2012 Presidential elections
Sanjay Raut faced isolation as he pressed for supporting opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha
Shinde Camp spokesman Deepak Kesarkar in an emotional appeal urged Thackeray to bless the Shiv Sena-BJP government
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Monday received a blow as 7 of the total 19 MPs remained absent at the five-hour-long meeting convened by the party president to discuss the present political developments and also the party's stand on the Presidential election. Most of the MPs made a strong case for supporting the NDA nominee Draupadi Murmu and not for the opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha. They did not stop there but also pitched for joining hands with the BJP to remain politically relevant and also for retaining the party’s seats in the next Lok Sabha election.
Party’s vocal MP Sanjay Raut, who is under attack from the rebel MLAs holding him responsible for the present crisis, was isolated as he pitched for the party’s support to Sinha while most of the MPs urged Thackeray to extend the party’s support to Murmu. Already, party MPs Rahul Shewale and Rajendra Gavit have demanded that the party must support Murmu as she is the tribal leader. Seven MPs who were absent included Shrikant Shinde (CM Eknath Shinde’s son), Bhavan Gawali, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Mandlik, Hemant Patil, Krupal Tumane and Kalaben Delkar.
Today’s meeting is important as Murmu will be in Mumbai on July 14 for her campaigning while Sinha will come on July 17. Party insiders claim that Thackeray will soon announce the decision to vote for Murmu as it had done in the past when party supremo Bal Thackeray 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 the party president Uddhav Thackeray should soon take a call on joining hands with Shinde camp and the estranged ally BJP to remain politically relevant and revive the party ahead of the next assembly and Lok Sabha elections. BJP has emerged as the party with its pan-India reach and logically Shiv Sena should remain with it. There are 50 MLAs in the Shinde camp who are of the party but now have aligned with the BJP. Shiv Sena should join them which will benefit the party in retaining its seats in the Lok Sabha.’’ He said that Shiv Sena won’t grow and consolidate if it continues its alliance with NCP and Congress. He added that if Thackeray yields then the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s existence will face a bleak future in the state.
Minutes after Thackeray’s meeting with MPs was completed, the Shinde camp spokesman Deepak Kesarkar made an emotional appeal to Thackeray to bless and support the Shinde-Fadnavis government. ‘’We can 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 NCP and 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.
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