MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will convene a meeting of party leaders to decide on supporting the NDA's choice for President, party MP Sanjay Raut said today.
"Amit Shah called up Uddhavji after the NDA's presidential candidate was decided in the BJP's Parliamentary Board meeting. Shah sought the Sena's support for Ram Nath Kovind," Raut told reporters here.
"Uddhavji told him that he will convene a meeting of the party leaders to arrive on a decision and convey our answer to him in one-two days," he said
The Sena MP said Thackeray may "answer many questions later this evening" when he will address the party workers on the Shiv Sena's 51st foundation day.
"We had suggested two names for the post. One was of (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat. If they had a problem with that, we wanted (eminent agriculturist) M S Swaminathan. But since they have chosen some other name, the party will convey to the BJP our decision soon," Raut said.
The BJP today named Dalit leader and Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind as the NDA's candidate for the post of president.
Kovind is likely to file his papers on June 23, Shah said in Delhi after a nearly two-hour meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board.
Amaravati (AP), Jun 19 (PTI) The Telugu Desam Party, an ally of the NDA, today welcomed the BJP's decision to put up Bihar Governor and Dalit leader Ram Nath Kovind as the alliance's candidate for the presidential election.
TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hailed Kovind's candidature as "the right choice" for the highest constitutional post and pledged his party's full support to him.
"You have chosen a right candidate for the top post. An intellectual with high values belonging to the Dalit community is very apt in all respects for the president's post," Naidu told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called him this afternoon to inform him about Kovind's choice.
A communication from the chief minister's office said Naidu announced that the TDP would extend complete support for Kovind's candidature.
The communication also said that the prime minister requested Naidu to garner Trinamool Congress' support for the NDA candidate.
Naidu assured the prime minister that he would contact TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee upon her return from her foreign visit, the communication said.