India
After Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind was named as the NDA's nominee for the President's post, the Shiv Sena has remained non-committal on supporting him. The Sena had earlier pitched the names of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan as their choices for the President.
Updated : Jun 19, 2017, 04:14 PM IST
 "Modi-Uddhav")
After Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind was named as the NDA's nominee for the President's post, the Shiv Sena has remained non-committal on supporting him. The Sena had earlier pitched the names of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan as their choices for the President.
On Sunday, BJP national president Amit Shah met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in an attempt to build consensus on the issue and seek the party's support in the Presidential polls. "Sometime ago, BJP chief Amit Shah spoke to Uddhav Thackeray and said Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind will be the NDA's nominee for President," said Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who is also the executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamna.
Raut said Uddhav had told Shah that he would discuss the issue in a meeting of party leaders and revert. He admitted that the BJP had informed the Shiv Sena about their nominee only after the name was finalised and added that Uddhav was likely to speak about the party's stance in the Shiv Sena convention on Monday evening.
Founded on July 19, 1966, the Shiv Sena is celebrating its foundation day on Monday. If the Shiv Sena strikes out on its own in the Presidential elections, this will not be for the first time that it will break ranks with the BJP. It supported incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee, who was the nominee of the Congress-led UPA in 2012 over the BJP-backed PA Sangma. The Shiv Sena, which is seen as the BJP’s natural ally due to the common Hindutva agenda, in 2007 had supported incumbent Pratibha Patil over the BJP’s Bhaironsingh Shekhawat as she was a Maharashtrian. In 1997, the Sena propped up former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) TN Sheshan as its presidential candidate against KR Narayanan.
Meanwhile, ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has also agreed to support NDA's candidate.
"Hon'ble PM @narendramodi Ji has telephoned Sri KCR garu seeking support for Sri Ramnath Kovind Ji as President. Our CM has agreed to support," said KTR, Minister Municipal Administration & Urban Development.
Hon'ble PM @narendramodi Ji has telephoned Sri KCR garu seeking support for Sri Ramnath Kovind Ji as President. Our CM has agreed to support
— KTR (@KTRTRS) June 19, 2017
The Telugu Desam Party, an ally of the NDA, has also welcomed the BJP's decision. TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hailed Kovind's candidature as "the right choice" for the highest constitutional post and pledged his party's full support to him. "You have chosen a right candidate for the top post. An intellectual with high values belonging to the Dalit community is very apt in all respects for the president's post," Naidu told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called him this afternoon to inform him about Kovind's choice.
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