Hailing Mukherjee as the "right candidate", Sena supremo Bal Thackeray said that a message that "we are all united" should go round by unanimous election of the Finance Minister to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"Let bygones be bygones. Let us unanimously support Pranab Mukherjee and show the world that "hum sab ek hai" (we are all united)," Thackeray said in a statement published in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
At a time when a sizeable section of the BJP, leading the NDA appeared to be planning to support P A Sangma in the Presidential race, the Sena chief said, "The farce that is on for the top post of President is not justifiable.
"The country's prestige is at stake for political gains. Those who have no merit are also in the race," Thackeray said, a day after A P J Abdul Kalam made it clear that he would not be contesting.
The Sena chief also dismissed allegations of backstabbing against his party. (More)