Bhubaneswar, June 21: The BJP on Tuesday announced Droupadi Murmu, a renowned tribal leader from Odisha, as the NDA’s presidential candidate. The announcement was made by Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda after the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.
“For the first time, preference has been given to a woman tribal candidate. We announce Droupadi Murmu as NDA’s candidate for the upcoming Presidential elections,” Nadda said.
The tribal leader served as the Jharkhand Governor between 2015 and 2021. If elected, she will be the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post of the country.
Murmu, the former Governor of Jharkhand, will be contesting the presidential polls against UPA presidential nominee Yashwant Sinha, whose candidature was announced earlier in the day.
The Presidential elections will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes, if needed, will be conducted on July 21. The last date of nomination has been set for June 29. The new President has to be sworn in by July 25. Incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind’s tenure ends on July 24.
After V V Giri, Droupadi Murmu become the second Odisha native to occupy the high office of President of India.
Murmu, also served as a Minister in Naveen Patnaik’s council in the BJP-BJD alliance Government (2000-2004).
An alumnus of Rama Devi Women’s College, (now university) in Bhubaneawar, Murmu holds a bachelor of Arts degree. Hailing from a tribal family in Uparbeda village in Kusumi block of Mayurbhanj district, she worked as a teacher before starting her political career as a councillor in 1997.
