Sena options open in Patil’s Prez race

The Shiv Sena made it clear on Wednesday that it is keeping its options open in relation to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s Presidential candidacy.

Meanwhile in Delhi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi let it be known that he wanted a ‘stronger’ candidate. The Left, on the other hand, reiterated its support for External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who dismissed the pitch as “speculative and tendentious”.

Patil’s position in his home state is far from secure either. The Sena wants him to take a clear stand on issues pertaining to Maharashtra.

The party’s stand is a reaction to the Congress’s attempt to play up the son-of-the-soil card in the state.

Sanjay Raut, a Sena MP, said, “Let Patil declare that he is a Marathi Manus and make his stand clear on the Maharashtra-Karnataka bo-rder row.” The Sena also asserted that the BJP should not take its 30,000 votes for granted.