Ram Nath Kovind speaks to Uddhav Thackeray over phone, thanks him for support

MUMBAI: NDA's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind, who was in Mumbai today to interact with MPs and state legislators, spoke to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over phone and thanked him for supporting his candidature.

A visit to Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra was not in Kovind's itinerary which had raised eyebrows.

However, he made a phone call to Thackeray and thanked him for supporting his candidature for the July 17 presidential election, Shiv Sena sources said.

Kovind held a meeting with elected representatives of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and other NDA allies at the Garware Club in south Mumbai.

Pranab Mukherjee and Pratibha Patil, as presidential candidates of the UPA, had visited the then Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray at 'Matoshree' as the party had broken ranks with the NDA in the past two elections for the highest constitutional office.

Thackeray had announced his party's support for Kovind after a meeting of Shiv Sena leaders here last month.