Uddhav announces support for Murmu in presidential polls

Shiv Sena will support National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, party president Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday.

Thackeray said the Sena is announcing support to Murmu without any pressure.

Nobody pressured me in the meeting of Sena MPs, he added.

"Tribal leaders of my party told me that this was the first time that a tribal woman is getting the chance to become the President, he said. Actually, going by the present political atmosphere, I should not have backed her. But we are not narrow minded," he said.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Shiv Sena had earlier backed United Progressive Alliance presidential nominees like Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee.

The Sena has the tradition of going beyond politics.

We believe in backing people in the national interest, he said.

After getting the support of some regional parties like the Biju Janata Dal, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Telugu Desam Party, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Shiromani Akali Dal and now the Shiv Sena, the vote-share of NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu has already crossed 60 per cent.

It was around 50 per cent at the time of her nomination.