Date:20/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/20/stories/2007072055661200.htm

National

Sena members hail Thackeray, vote for Pratibha

Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI: The scene was rather paradoxical on Thursday. Shiv Sena legislators and Lok Sabha members came to the Maharashtra Legislature complex sporting saffron turbans and sash and voted for the United Progressive Alliance Presidential nominee, Pratibha Patil, hailing “the Hindu hriday samrat (the emperor of hearts of the Hindus) Bal Thackeray.”

Earlier the Sena members visited Hutatma Chowk and paid homage to martyrs who laid down their lives during the struggle for Mumbai.

Legislative Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Patil said that of the 288 MLAs, 286 exercised their franchise. Suresh Ghas (BJP) could not come to vote following his father’s death. The former Congress Minister, Kripa Shanker Singh, cast his vote in New Delhi.

The Shiv Sena’s 15 MPs and one from the BJP cast their votes in Mumbai. Others voted in New Delhi.

Mr. Patil said members of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and others supporting the Democratic Front Government in the State and the Shiv Sena voted for Ms. Patil.

He said the Congress-NCP alliance had also urged Vamanrao Chatap of the Swatantra Bharat Party, gangster-turned-legislator Arun Gawli and an independent to vote for Ms. Patil.