Indian Presidential election 2022 | Shiv Sena seemingly supported Droupadi Murmu as she is tribal, not as NDA nominee, says NCP
The Hindu
Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil told reporters on July 13 that the Sena had not discussed with the NCP before announcing its support to Droupadi Murmu.
The Shiv Sena apparently supported Droupadi Murmu for the Presidential elections because she is a tribal and not as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader said.
The Shiv Sena, the NCP, and the Congress are constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was in power till the last month before the rebellion by Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and most of the Sena MLAs led to its collapse.
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Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil told reporters on July 13 that the Sena had not discussed with the NCP before announcing its support to Ms. Murmu.
"In every Presidential election, Shiv Sena has made their own choice. It (The Sena's decision to back Murmu) is not a support to the NDA per se. As she belongs to an Adivasi community, the Sena must have extended the support," he added.
The Shiv Sena had backed United Progressive Alliance's (UPA's) nominees Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential polls held in 2007 and 2012 respectively, even though the Sena was a constituent of the BJP-led NDA at that time.