The BSP on Saturday extended its support to BJP-led NDA’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, who is likely to be the first tribal leader and second woman to hold the post.
Murmu on Friday filed his nomination papers with the Prime Minister for the presidential election to be held on July 18. Narendra Modi Handing over the set of papers to the Returning Officer PC Modi.
BSP supremo Mayawati said here, “BSP has decided to support Draupadi Murmu in the upcoming presidential elections, keeping in mind that tribal society is an important part of the party’s movement.”
He said, “This decision was taken not to support BJP or NDA nor to go against the opposition UPA, but keeping in mind our party and its movement to make an able and dedicated tribal woman the President of the country. went.”
The BSP president criticized the opposition parties for keeping him out of consultation while deciding on the presidential candidate, asserting that his party is free to take its own decision on the presidential election.
Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha has been declared joint candidate by several opposition parties including Congress, TMC and NCP.
Meanwhile, a day after the Congress in Odisha announced not to support Murmu, the state unit of the BJP branded the old party as anti-tribal.
BJP state president Sameer Mohanty alleged that the Congress, which grabbed power at the Center with the support of tribal people, will now oppose one of their representatives.
Mohanty said that the nomination of a tribal woman from Odisha for the highest constitutional post is a matter of great pride, instead of rejoicing over Murmu’s success, senior Congress leaders in the state have said that they will not vote in favor of Odia daughter. Just the toe party line.
He said that the party may not have the interests of tribals in mind. Congress Legislature Party leader Narsingh Mishra had said on Thursday that party MLAs in the Odisha Assembly would not support Murmu as she believed in the ideology of the BJP and the RSS.
The Congress has nine MLAs in Odisha and one MP in the Lok Sabha. BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently asked his party’s 114 MLAs and 21 MPs to vote for Murmu as she is the daughter of the soil.
With inputs from PTI
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