India / Opponents too in front of Modi masterstroke many opposition parties came in support of Draupadi Murmu

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's masterstroke in the presidential election has left the opposition parties worried. Draupadi Murmu can win the election with a huge margin. After Shiv Sena, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) also announced its support for Murmu on Thursday. This move of Hemant Soren has made Congress uncomfortable in the same way as NCP and Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra.

The JMM, despite being an ally of the Indian National Congress, has extended its support to the NDA's presidential candidate. Speaking on the occasion, JMM chief Shibu Soren said, 'For the first time after independence, a tribal woman is going to get the honor of becoming the President. Hence, after due deliberations the party has decided to vote in favor of Draupadi Murmu."

In the past few weeks, the NDA candidate has received support from several parties that are part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) bloc. Of the 13 Shiv Sena MPs who attended the meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, 11 advocated a synergy between the Shinde-led rebel faction and the party. People familiar with the matter said supporting Murmu would be part of this effort. The next day, the Shiv Sena chief, addressing a press conference, announced his support for the first woman-ST candidate. Thackeray insisted that the decision was not taken under pressure.

Similarly, Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and rival Telugu Desam Party also agreed on Murmu's nomination, supporting the agenda of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minorities. TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that the party is committed to social justice as a result of which he is supporting the tribal leader for the top post.

Similarly, Punjab's Shiromani Akali Dal, which has two MPs in the Lok Sabha and three MLAs in Punjab, also extended its support to Murmu in early July, when BJP president JP Nadda called on party president Sukhbir to support the NDA's nomination. Singh approached Badal. "She (Murmu) has emerged as a symbol of the poor and tribal class in the country," said the resolution passed by the top SAD leadership after a three-hour-long meeting at the party headquarters. Despite the political differences of the parties, we have decided to choose the right path." Earlier, the Akali Dal had snapped ties with the saffron party over the agriculture law dispute.

The presidential election is scheduled for July 18. A combined 17 opposition parties have nominated former Union minister Yashwant Singh as their presidential candidate. At the same time, the NDA has nominated Draupadi Murmu, a tribal from Mayurbhanj in Odisha, as its candidate.