Droupadi Murmu skips meeting Uddhav Thackeray

The BJP-led NDA’s Presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu skipped meeting Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray when she visited Mumbai for a few hours to garner support from Maharashtra on Thursday.

It is also not known whether Murmu had any telephonic interaction with Thackeray.

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Under pressure from his party MPs and MLAs, Thackeray, who has been battling a split in the party, had extended support to Murmu - while breaking ranks with the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners - Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress, who are backing Yashwant Sinha.

Murmu, on her arrival at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, was received by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP’s national general secretary Vinod Tawde.

From the airport, they drove to the nearby Leela Hotel, where Murmu was welcomed with tribal dances like Tarpa folk dance.

All the BJP MPs and MLAs and those of the Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction were present.

Majority of the central ministers from Maharashtra - Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Narayan Rane, Bharti Pawar, Ramdas Athawale of RPI (A), state BJP President Chandrakant Patil were among those present.

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Asked about whether Murmu would meet Thackeray, Fadnavis said: “As far as the itinerary that I am aware of, there is no engagement apart from the programme in the hotel.”

Shinde said that by nominating a tribal woman for the Presidential office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a message to the masses and would bring the tribal community closer to the mainstream.

“Murmu Madam will win with a record number of votes,” he said.

Asked about any meetings with Thackeray, he said: “In the meeting MPs and MLAs were there.”