Shiv Sena to support opposition's vice-presidential candidate Margaret Alva

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the party will support the opposition's Vice Presidential candidate Margaret Alva.

He added that for the Presidential poll, Sena will lend support to Droupadi Murmu out of "sentiment" as Murmu is a tribal woman and Maharashtra is largely tribal.

While talking to ANI, Raut said, "Droupadi Murmu is a woman.. belongs to tribal society..Maharashtra is largely tribal..Many of our MPs and MLAs are tribals..There is a sentiment with Murmu..Our party leaders also have sentiments about Droupadi Murmu, that's why President of Shiv Sena has spoken of supporting Murmu as a candidate, while Shiv Sena will support Margaret Alva as its Vice Presidential candidate."

Earlier, soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Vice Presidential candidate, a meeting of Opposition parties was held to decide the opposition's candidate for Vice President.

However, Trinamool Congress party supremo Mamata Banerjee and leaders from Aam Aadmi Party gave the meeting a miss.

The leaders from 17 opposition parties including Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M), Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Shiv Sena, Congress, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), met at Pawar's residence and decided to announce Margaret Alva as opposition's candidate for Vice Presidential election.

"Mamata Banerjee was busy in an on-board meeting, due to which she could not attend the meeting, but I am in touch with her and the talk happened before today," said Pawar.

Congress leader Malikarjun Kharge said, "Today the opposition candidates have been decided but Mamata Banerjee is busy in a meeting due to which the talks have not happened but Sharad Pawar is in touch with Mamataji."

Among the attendees were Ram Gopal Yadav from Samajwadi Party, Sitaram Yechury from CPI(M), K.K from TRS in Sharad Pawar's house meeting. Keshava Rao, AD Singh from RJD, Sanjay Raut from Shiv Sena, Jairam Ramesh and Malikarjun Kharge from Congress, ET Mohammad Bashir from IUML, Vaiko from MDMK, TR Balu from DMK and Trichysiva from VCK attended the meeting.

Thirumavalavan and Ravi Kumar, D Raja and Binoy Biswam from CPI and Jose K Mani from Kerala Congress(M), National Conference's Farooq Abdullah were also present in the meeting.

Earlier on Sunday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar announced Margaret Alva as Vice Presidential candidate.

While, on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced the name of West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the Vice Presidential election.

The last date for filing of nominations for the VP election is July 19.