MUMBAI, June 18: The Shiv Sena, which does not believe in holding party elections, has obtained the signatures of 90 MPs and MLAs for proposing the name of T N Seshan for the post of President of India. The party needs another 10 signatures to complete the process of proposing and seconding Seshan's name for the post. (Every candidate has to have 50 signatures as proposers and 50 as seconders from the electoral college for the post).

There was a time when former chief election commissioner T N Seshan fulminated against parties which violated a line of the ubiquitous Code of Conduct for parties and the absence of democratic spirit among politicians.

Addressing the Press after an hour-long meeting with party legislators in Vidhan Bhavan, Sena youth leader, Uddhav Thackeray, today described Seshan as ``a clean man'' and said Sena's support for him was principled.Asked why the Sena had chosen to support Seshan, Uddhav Tackeray said, ``He will not be a rubber stamp president. If we had the American system (presidential form of government), he would have won hands down,'' Uddhav said.

Uddhav, however, clarified that Seshan was an independent candidate and the party was only supporting him. He said it did not mean that the Sena was opposed to the candidacy of K R Narayanan.Referring to the dinner meeting that Seshan had on Sunday with Sena ministers at the state guest house, he said Seshan had maintained that his official tenure as CEC may have been stormy but he was only implementing the law of the land.

Among the 90 signatories at the legislator's meeting today, some were independent MLAs from Maharashtra. Utam Khandare, Ajit Ghorpade, Ram Raje Nimbalkar and Sahebrao Darekar had signed, it was learnt.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.