Maharashtra CM calls Sharad Pawar, Uddhav to seek support for NDA V-P candidate
Sources in the BJP revealed that “Fadnavis called Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray over phone and urged them to extend their respective party's support to NDA's V-P candidate C P Radhakrishnan".
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NDA's V-P candidate C P RadhakrishnanLooking to mobilise support for the NDA’s vice presidential candidate C P Radhakrishnan beyond the allies in the government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday held talks with Opposition constituents NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray to seek their support for the for the candidature of Radhakrishnan.
Sources in the BJP revealed that “Fadnavis called Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray over phone and urged them to extend their respective party’s support to NDA’s V-P candidate C P Radhakrishnan”.
The source revealed that both NCP(SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) have refrained from making their stand public.
While NDA has fielded Maharashtra Governor Radhakrishnan, INDIA block led by Congress has had in the fray former retired judge Justice Sudarshan Reddy as their candidate. The vice presidential elections will take place on September 9. The elections were necessitated following the abrupt resignation of serving V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar in the middle of his tenure.
Sources said that in Maharashtra, there had been instances where political rivals came forward to support presidential candidates setting aside their political differences. On two occasions at least, undivided Shiv Sena — then led by Bal Thackeray — had supported the rival Congress-led UPA presidential candidate Pratibha Patil in 2007 and Pranab Mukherjee in 2012.
A senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, “ Ideally, we have nothing against Radhakrishnan whose tenure as Maharashtra governor was much better and non-controversial. But as we are part of the INDIA bloc, we will have to stand by Reddy to show unity within the opposition.”
The Congress’ decision to field Reddy is perceived as a clever strategy to counter BJP’s South India oriented politics. By fielding Radhakrishnan, BJP wanted to mount pressure on non-NDA southern parties namely DMK. By fielding Reddy, Congress has put NDA aligned Telugu Desam Party, Jana Sena and Rastriya Bharat Samithi from Andhra Pradesh in a political bind.
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