Mohan Bhagwat as President will fulfil Hindu-rashtra dream: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena on Sunday reiterated its stand that India should have a “Hindutvawadi” president next, once again backing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief, Mohan Bhagwat, for the post of the President.

In a column in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut said that Sena feels that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won many states in the recent assembly elections, including 325 seats in Uttar Pradesh, there is an overall atmosphere of “Hindutva” in the country. “If the RSS chief is made the President of the country, then the dream of a Hindu-rashtra (Hindu Nation) could be fulfilled,” Raut wrote.

This is not the first time Shiv Sena has endorsed Bhagwat as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA)Presidential candidate. Last week, Raut told the media that if Bhagwat is made the President, he would fulfil the long standing demands of Ram Mandir, uniform civil code, and the issue of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, among other things.

However, Bhagwat has already put to rest the speculations linking his name for the post of President. Last week, he clarified that he is not in contention for the country’s top post.

In his column, Raut listed down seven points as to why Bhagwat should be elected to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in July. “Several workers have shed their blood and laid down their lives in the last 50-60 years for Hindutva (Hindu ideology) and a Hindu-rashtra. Their sacrifices would be fulfilled, if the RSS chief is elected to the Rashtrapati Bhavan,” the column read.

Meanwhile, the BJP has initiated steps to rally its allies in the NDA, especially Sena, as it is short of little over 25,000 votes for its choice of candidate for the top job. The BJP and Sena have been at loggerheads since the 2014 Assembly elections.

The deficit votes can be bridged by smaller parties such as the Shiv Sena, but the Sena is playing hardball and is unlikely to give its unconditional support, given the strained relation between the two parties.

When the reports of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray being invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to dinner surfaced last week, Raut had said that BJP leaders will have to come to Thackeray’s residence if they want their support in the presidential election. It is believed that by recommending Bhagwat’s name, the Sena leadership has put BJP leaders in a fix, as a section of leaders in party may not be in favour of Bhagwat.