Bhubaneswar: The split in the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra — one faction led by Uddhav Thackeray and the other by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde — is likely to turn into an advantage for NDA’s Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu.
While Thackeray has declared support for joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha, the Shinde camp is likely to vote for Droupadi.
The Sena has 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha, making it the fourth largest Opposition after the Congress, Trinamool and DMK.
Most Sena MPs are likely to support Droupadi, though there is no whip for the Presidential elections and MPs can vote according to their wishes.
The Shinde faction, with 40 MLAs, has 7,000 votes in the Presidential elections. Thackeray still has 18,200 votes if the MLAs in his camp and MPs are taken together. But most Sens MPs are likely to back Droupadi.
Sena MP Rahul Shewale on Tuesday wrote to Thackeray urging him to order Sena MPs to support Droupadi. Shewale’s request came soon after Sena rebel faction’s Deepak Kesarkar’s plea to the Opposition to back Droupadi.
“In view of her (tribal) background and contribution to the social sector, I urge you to declare support to Murmu and accordingly give all Sena MPs the directions to do so,” Shewale wrote to Thackeray.
There are several Sena MPs who are part of the rebel camp and are likely to vote for the NDA candidate.
