The Shiv Sena which has declared support for the National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu did not expect her to visit Uddhav Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' here, the party said on Thursday.
Murmu arrived in Mumbai on Thursday evening to meet the MPs and MLAs of the BJP as well as MLAs of the rebel Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
But though Sena chief Thackeray too has declared support for her, she was not slated to meet him.
Sena MP Vinayak Raut had said earlier in the day that party MPs and MLAs (from Thackeray's faction) would not be attending a meeting which Murmu was to address.
Asked about this, MP and Thackeray's confidante Sanjay Raut said the party's support to Murmu was not political.
We did not extend our support to her for visiting Matoshree. This is not political support, but it reflects our sentiments towards tribal communities, he said.
In the past, the Shiv Sena had supported Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee in 2007 and 2012 presidential elections even though it was part of the BJP-led NDA then, Raut said.
Patil and Mukherjee, both Congress leaders, had visited Matoshree, he said, adding that this time the party broke ranks again (with allies Congress and NCP).
As for the first time a tribal woman leader was set to occupy the highest office in the country, many Sena legislators who have tribal roots or work in tribal areas felt that the party should back Murmu, Raut added.
The Opposition has fielded Yashwant Sinha against Murmu for the July 18 election.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app