Presidential elections: Murmu meets BJP MPs and MLAs, gets their backing in poll

According to party sources, around 65 MLAs and 15 MPs of the party were present at the meeting and assured her of their support in the presidential election. “Our Darjeeling MP Raju Bista, who was not present at the meeting in Kolkata, has already met her in Siliguri yesterday. Other BJP MLAs who were absent were either sick or had met her in Siliguri, like our Darjeeling MLA Neeraj Zimba,” said a senior leader of the party.

The party’s Bhatpara MLA Pawan Singh was not invited to the programme. His father, party MP Arjun Singh, recently switched over to the ruling Trinamool Congress and was not present in the meeting.

The BJP currently has 17 MPs from the state and 75 MLAs. However, five MLAs have switched to the TMC but are yet to resign as BJP lawmakers.

Speaking to mediapersons after the meeting, BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said, “All of us have assured full support to her and wished her success.”

Ghosh claimed that many TMC lawmakers might vote in favour of Murmu. “After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks, we are hopeful that many TMC lawmakers will vote for the NDA candidate.”

Chief Minister Banerjee had recently said that Murmu, a tribal BJP leader from Odisha , could have been a consensus presidential candidate had the NDA discussed it with the opposition parties before fielding her.

Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim rubbished Ghosh’s claim. “The TMC is a disciplined party and the party lawmakers will vote for the opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha,” he said.