Prez polls: Shiv Sena giving jitters, BJP banking on regional outfits

With opposition making a determined bid to contest the presidential election, BJP is banking on the support of regional outfits to ensure a comfortable victory for their nominee even as Shiv Sena gave it some jitters.
 
The Shiv Sena has 63 MLAs and 21 MPs with a total vote value of 25,893 that comes to 2.34% vote share in the electoral college with a vote value of 10.98 lakh.
 
The electoral college for the Presidential election comprises elected members of both houses of parliament (776) and elected members of legislative parties of state assemblies and union territories (4120). The total 4896 electors have a vote value of 10.98 lakh and the winning candidate has to secure a simple majority.
 
The AIADMK with 50 MPs and 139 MLAs has a vote value of 59,224 that works out to be 5.36% of the electoral college. YSR Congress, led by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, 10 MPs and 66 MLAs with a vote value of 16,448 that works out to 1.53% of the electoral college.
 
I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who has been tasked by the BJP to consult political parties on the presidential election, has met AIADMK leader M Thambidurai, who has assured the party's support to the BJP. Reddy too had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month and offered to support the NDA candidate.
 
The BJP is hoping to get the support from fence-sitters BJD and TRS who have a vote value of 32,892 and 20,736 respectively. BJP is aggressively making inroads into Odisha and Telangana and it remains to be seen how the regional satraps would behave in the election.
 
The AAP with 85 MLAs and four MPs has a vote value of 8922 and has announced to vote with the opposition block despite Congress keeping it away from the grouping.