Under pressure from party MPs, embattled Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray is likely to back Droupadi Murmu for president’s post, according to sources.

This comes after Shiv Sena MPs urged support for Droupadi Murmu during a meeting with Thackeray on Monday at his house, "Matoshree." Thackeray's choice to support Murmu would be a significant defeat for the opposition front, which has put Yashwant Sinha up for the July 18 presidential election.

A crucial conference on the presidential elections was attended by 13 of the Shiv Sena's 18 Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra, and the bulk of them urged backing the candidate of the BJP-led NDA for the top constitutional position. Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, reportedly stood firmly behind Yashwant Sinha during the meeting.

Due to Murmu's tribal ties, certain party MLAs and leaders, particularly those from the adivasi community, have already requested support from the Shiv Sena, a former ally of the BJP.