MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed the BJP was contacting INDIA bloc parties to seek support in the vice presidential election, as there was “unease” among NDA MPs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and it fears cross-voting.

Just as the Shiv Sena, then a BJP ally, supported the Congress-led UPA’s candidate Pratibha Patil in the 2007 presidential election because she was from Maharashtra, the NDA fears that MPs from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana might support Opposition candidate Sudershan Reddy, he hinted.

“Are you (NDA) scared that there will be cross-voting?….there will be cross-voting by duplicate Shiv Sena (a reference to the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde)….There is majority on paper (for the NDA) but the (Opposition) candidate is from Andhra Pradesh. There is uneasiness (among MPs) in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” Raut said