If Shiv Sena supports Draupadi Murmu...: Congress questions Uddhav Thackeray's leadership over support to NDA Presidential candidate

New Delhi: The Congress party, on Tuesday, mocked the shiv Sena's decision to back NDA Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, saying that it is a historic decision, where the party leadership is following the orders of its MPs. Shortly after reports surfaced that Thackeray could extend support to NDA's Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, Congress leader from Maharashtra, Sanjay Nirupam took to Twitter and said that the move is the end of democracy in Shiv Sena.

"If Shiv Sena supports Draupadi Murmu, then it will be a historic decision. Do you know why? Because earlier, Balasaheb Thackeray used to give orders and MPs would follow. This time, it will so happen that the MPs ordered and the party followed. This will be a test of Shiv Sena's internal democracy," Nirupam said in the tweet.

Endorsing the party's right to support Murmu, or a candidate of their chpoice, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that supporting Draupadi Murmu does not mean supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said that the Shiv Sena party chiefs do not take any decisions under any pressure. "Many activists working in tribal areas are working in Shiv Sena.

Draupadi Murmu was discussed in our meeting yesterday. We understand everyone's opinionSupporting Draupadi Murmu does not mean supporting BJP. The role of Shiv Sena will become clear in one to two days. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will take a decision in this regard. The opposition must survive in the country. We also have goodwill towards Yashwant Sinha. People have to make decisions based on what they feel," Raut said.

Adding that the Shiv Sena had supported Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee in the past, Raut said that the party has a tradition of taking 'such' decisions. "We have asked them (Sena leaders) to make a decision," Raut said. As reported earlier by Times Now, in a meeting of Shiv Sena leaders held on Monday, maximum number of leaders supported Murmu.

The development may be viewed on the backdrop of the ongoing revolt within Shiv Sena, where the party leadership is divided between Uddhav Thackeray faction and Eknath Shinde faction. Congress, which was a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra along with Shiv Sena, has projected Yashwant Sinha as the Presidential candidate along with other opposition parties.