Uddhav 'Forced' to Support NDA-Backed Murmu for Prez Polls: Yashwant Sinha

Thackeray, who was initially supporting Sinha, declared that he would support Murmu in Presidential polls.

Yashwant Sinha.

(Photo: IANS)

Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Yashwant Sinha, the opposition's presidential candidate, claimed that former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackarey has been "forced" to support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate, Droupadi Murmu, NDTV reported.

Sinha added that he wasn't fighting a political party, but the "might of the Central government."

On 12 July, Thackeray, who was initially supporting Sinha, declared that he would support Murmu in elections to the office of the President of India.

Addressing the media, Thackeray said earlier that "nobody pressurised me in any manner."

Further, he had expressed that considering the political situation in the state, the party should have opposed Murmu but the Shiv Sena has always risen above politics for the country's good.

'Attempts to Break Oppn Parties Before Presidential Polls'

Sinha further asserted that the Centre was attempting to divide the Opposition ahead of the polls, adding that they were usurping elected government by using agencies, NDTV reported.

However, Sinha expressed optimism about his prospects, saying that "The Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee are totally supporting me. The Aam Admi Party will open its cards soon, I am aware of it. Only one party in the opposition camp is supporting the NDA candidate – that is the Shiv Sena. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi was not part of the opposition meeting, but it is still supporting me, so we have a lot of opposition support."

(With inputs from NDTV.)