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Presidential election: Shiv Sena makes a U-turn, says yes to Ram Nath Kovind

Fear of cross-voting in its ranks and futility of backing a non-BJP candidate may have forced Uddhav's hand

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BJP’s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind at Bihar Niwas in New Delhi on Tuesday
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A day after he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of nominating Ram Nath Kovind as the NDA's presidential nominee for vote bank politics, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday announced support for him in an apparent U-turn.

The Shiv Sena, which has 63 MLAs and 18 Lok Sabha MPs, had earlier floated the names of RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat and agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan as the country's constitutional head.

On Monday, Uddhav, while speaking at the party's foundation day convention had slammed Kovind's nomination as that meant to appease Dalit voters.

"The Shiv Sena has decided to support Ram Nath ji," said Uddhav, after a meeting of party leaders on Monday.

BJP chief Amit Shah had met Uddhav on Sunday about the Presidential polls. Shiv Sena sources said the fear of cross-voting in its ranks and the futility of supporting a non-BJP candidate, who faced a certain defeat, may have forced their hand on Kovind. The Shiv Sena also enjoys support in a significant section of Hindu Dalits in Maharashtra.

"We have announced our support for Ram Nathji... We had suggested Mohanji's name and he remains our first choice even today. We have never hidden this fact. The reason is clear: we want him for a Hindu Rashtra," said Uddhav.

He claimed Shah had told him that Swaminathan's name could not make it further due to his frail health.

"Vote bank politics is not acceptable to us as it does not benefit the nation. But if someone works for the welfare of the country, we will support him," said Uddhav, denying his party's stance was a volte-face. "We do not want to take on the BJP (unnecessarily)," the Shiv Sena chief said, pointing to how the party had supported the GST bill after its concerns about the compensation for civic bodies were accommodated. 

The Sena crosses swords with the BJP routinely over a range of issues.

The Shiv Sena has broken ranks with the BJP in the presidential polls twice in the recent past. It supported Congress-led UPA nominee, incumbent Pranab Mukherjee in 2012 over the BJP-backed P.A Sangma.

The Sena, which is seen as the BJP's natural ally due to the Hindutva agenda had supported incumbent Pratibha Patil over the BJP's Bhaironsingh Shekhawat in 2007 as she was a Maharashtrian. In 1997, it fielded former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) T.N Sheshan against K.R Narayanan.

"Uddhavji supported the BJP, but used the opportunity to expose the BJP's vote bank politics," said a Shiv Sena MP. He admitted that though the Sena had taken a stance that diverged from the BJP in the past, it had supported winning candidates.

Shiv Sena insiders said Uddhav had also tried to catch the BJP in a bind and grab the attention of a section of Hindutva adherents by pitching for Bhagwat as the President and pushed for Swaminathan to strike a chord with farmers agitating in Maharashtra and other states.

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