Despite backing NDA’s Draupadi Murmu, Shiv Sena supports Opposition’s VP candidate Margaret Alva
Shiv Sena has decided to back Vice Presidential candidate Margaret Alva in the polls, despite extending support to NDA candidates in the prez polls.
Even though Maharashtra’s ruling party Shiv Sena had decided to back NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu in the presidential elections in 2022, it has made a complete U-turn when it comes to extending its support for the vice presidential candidate.
As per Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, the party has decided to back the Opposition’s Vice President candidate Margaret Alva in the upcoming polls. Raut also said that the Sena had supported Murmu for the presidential elections out of “sentiment.”
The Shiv Sena will support Draupadi Murmu for the presidential elections 2022 out of “sentiment” as Murmu is a tribal woman and the majority of the people in Maharashtra belong to the community, Raut said, as per ANI reports.
While speaking to ANI, the Shiv Sena leader said, “Draupadi Murmu is a woman.. belongs to tribal society. Maharashtra is largely tribal. Many of our MPs and MLAs are tribals. There is a sentiment with Murmu. Our party leaders also have sentiments about Droupadi Murmu, that’s why the President of Shiv Sena has spoken of supporting Murmu as a candidate, while Shiv Sena will support Margaret Alva as its Vice Presidential candidate.”
A meeting of Opposition parties was conducted to decide on the Vice President candidate, where the name of Margaret Alva came up. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Vice Presidential candidate.
The leaders of 17 opposition parties including Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M), Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena, Congress, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), met at Sharad Pawar’s residence and decided to announce Margaret Alva as opposition’s candidate for Vice Presidential election.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress had given the opposition meeting a miss, as per reports. Clarifying the same, Sharad Pawar had said, “Mamata Banerjee was busy in an on-board meeting, due to which she could not attend the meeting, but I am in touch with her and the talk happened before today.”
The vice presidential elections 2022 in India will be conducted on August 6, with the candidates Jagdeep Dhankar and Margaret Alva standing head to head.
This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a syndicated feed
Photo: Internet
