After pitching for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat as the next president, Shiv Sena on Friday also proposed the name of leading agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan for the post, reported DNA.
“Shiv Sena is in favour of nomination of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for the Presidential poll. However, if it is not acceptable to BJP, then in that case Dr MS Swaminathan’s name be announced as NDA nominee,’’ said Shiv Sena MP and spokesman Sanjay Raut.
Bhagwat has however clarified that he is not in the Presidential race. The idea has also been nixed by the Bhartiya Janta Party.
Shiv Sena is expected to strongly pitch for Swaminathan’s candidature when party president Uddhav Thackeray meets BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday. Shah on Friday began a three-day visit to Mumbai. The Shiv Sena had earlier threatened to take an independent stand in the presidential election, reported NDTV.
President Pranab Mukherjee’s term ends on July 24.
Union minister Sushma Swaraj’s name is also doing the rounds in the race for the Rashtrapati Bhavan, reported DNA. Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu are some of the other contenders.
Former Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar are reported to be under consideration by the Opposition parties.
The process of filing nominations for the July 17 presidential poll began on Wednesday after the Election Commission issued a notice in this regard.
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