Uddhav Thackeray relents, speaks to Yashwant Sinha, No support yet
Sinha visiting Mumbai on July 17
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, July 8
All eyes are set on Maharashtra on July 17 when joint Opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha visits Mumbai to solicit support. While the NCP and Congress have committed their support to Sinha, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has been dragging its feet in announcing support after his government fell.
Sources said that Sinha was trying hard to speak to Uddhav Thackeray over the phone. But Uddhav was extremely busy due to a variety of reasons. It is said that many of his Mps and remaining 14-15 MLAs do not want to be seen to be opposing first Tribal presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu. Uddhav Thackeray, however, spoke to Sinha yesterday.
Sanjay Raut, a senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP, confirmed to Lokmat today that Sinha spoke to Uddhav Thackeray. “However, we will decide in the next couple of days on the issue of Sinha,” Raut disclosed. Though no whip can be issued to the party MLAs and Mps. But the party has to decide on the issue in the wake of fresh developments.
There are apprehensions that Murmu may get the support of more than 180 MLAs out of 287 member Maharashtra Assembly. Each MLA has 175 votes and all MLAs account for 50,225 votes. The BJP-Sena (Shinde group) has the support of 165 MLAs. But there is a likelihood of more MLAs voting for Murmu.
Similarly, each MP has 708 votes. Though no formal division in the 19-member Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha has taken place. But there is a possibility that many of them may vote for Murmu too.
