Pranab to meet Thackeray in Mumbai on July 13

UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee would meet Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray here on July 13 to thank him for backing his candidature, a senior Congress leader said here today.

UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee would meet Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in Mumbai on July 13 to thank him for backing his candidature, a senior Congress leader said on Monday.

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"Mukerjee is scheduled to meet the Sena chief on July 13," MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre said.

Thakre said he would be present at the meeting, to be held at 6 pm, along with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, an old friend of Thackeray's, would also attend the meeting, the MPCC chief said.

Thackeray recently broke ranks with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on the presidential issue, saying his party would vote for Mukherjee in the poll on July 19.

Having declared support for Mukherjee, Thackeray recently described him as a "superpower" in the UPA government and said the Opposition should be happy that with his election the government will become a "lame duck".

In 2007 too, Thackeray had supported the UPA choice Pratibha Patil, breaking ranks with NDA, on the ground of she being a Maharashtrian.

In 2007, the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh (Congress) and Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil (NCP) had visited Thackeray's home in suburban Bandra to thank him.

Mukherjee is also scheduled to meet party legislators from the state, the MPCC chief said.