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| Edited By: DNA Web Team |Source: DNA Web Desk |Updated: Jul 15, 2022, 10:12 AM IST
Droupadi Murmu, the NDA candidate for the upcoming Presidential election, visited Mumbai on Thursday as part of her poll campaign, and met BJP MLAs and MPs from Maharashtra as well as the legislators of its allies including the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde.
Notably, she did not meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray even though the latter has extended support to her by breaking ranks with his allies Congress and NCP. Nor did any MLA or MP from the Thackeray-led Sena faction meet her.
It is reported that the BJP gave Thackeray camp a clear snub, by neither inviting him nor the 16 MPs on whose requested the former Maharashtra CM had decided to support Murmu.
In growing backing for the tribal leader and sparking fresh divisions with the opposition camp which has fielded Yashwant Sinha, Thackeray had Tuesday announced his party’s support to Murmu.
With this, the vote share of parties who have extended support to Murmu for the July 18 Presidential elections crossed 60 per cent.
Later, on Thursday, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Chief Shibu Soren also extended his support to Murmu, ending weeks of speculation.
JMM, an ally of the Congress, has 30 MLAs in the state legislature. While Murmu's victory is ensured even without JMM's support, the declaration by Soren is a shot in the arm for the NDA.
