BJP hits Sena bump in Prez race
Party refuses to lend allout support to BJP, earlier proposed scientist MS Swaminathan and Mohan Bhagwat’s names for post
NEWDELHI: The BJP’s biggest ally, Shiv Sena, on Sunday refused to give blanket support to the ruling party in the Presidential election but, like other Opposition parties, sought to know the names of candidates.
The Sena, with around 23,000 votes, had earlier proposed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and eminent agri-scientist MS Swaminathan’s names for the country’s top post.
BJP chief Amit Shah met Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter’s residence in Mumbai. Shah, according to reports, told Thackeray that nearly all NDA partners have pledged support for the candidate to be decided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, in Delhi, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday met his cabinet colleague, food minister Ram Vilas Paswan, and secured his support for the NDA candidate.
“The decision will be taken soon and the name of the Presidential candidate will be announced before June 23,” Naidu said after the meeting.
“Paswan went to London for his treatment and we all were waiting for him to come back. Now, he is absolutely fine. I have informed him about everything happening in connection with the presidential elections. He told me that his stand is clear and whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi decides will be acceptable to us,” Naidu said.
Sources told HT that before PM leaves for his foreign tour on June 24, NDA will announce its candidate and again reach out to Opposition parties for support.
Government managers had reached out to Opposition parties but none of them assured support as no specific names were proposed from the ruling dispensation.
AIADMK leader M Thambidurai announced that his party “will meet soon and announce support to the Presidential candidate. We are friendly with the Centre, but not in alliance with anyone”.
The Centre is banking heavily on the AIADMK, which has 59,000 votes in the electoral college, to win easily despite the Opposition threat to put up a candidate.
The Opposition parties too, may meet this week to finalise their candidates. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already spoken to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury to finalise the candidate. The election is scheduled on July 17.
UNION MINISTER VENKAIAH NAIDU ON SUNDAY MET FOOD MINISTER RAM VILAS PASWAN AND SECURED HIS SUPPORT