The BJP-led NDA coalition has announced Odisha Tribal leader Draupadi Murmu as the Presidential candidate for the upcoming elections.
While announcing Draupadi Murmu’s candidature, BJP president JP Nadda said it is the first time that preference has been given to a woman tribal candidate.
The announcement came in the wake of the reports that BJP had zeroed in on a few names, including that of Draupadi Murmu, for the constitutional post.
Born on June 20, 1958, Murmu has held several key positions throughout her illustrious political career, including the post of Jharkhand Governor which served from 2015 to 2021. Besides being the first woman Governor of Jharkhand, she is the first woman and tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed a governor in an Indian state.
Murmu was the Minister of State with independent charge for Commerce and Transport from March 6, 2000 to August 6, 2002 and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development from August 6, 2002 to May 16, 2004, during the BJP-BJD coalition government in Odisha. She has also served as the former Odisha Minister and an MLA from the Rairangpur assembly constituency in the years 2000 and 2004.
Opposition parties select Yashwant Sinha as their Presidential candidate
Earlier today, On Tuesday, TMC Vice President Yashwant Sinha was declared the candidate for the upcoming Presidential Elections which are due on July 18. Sinha was backed by Mamata Banerjee, NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar, the Congress and other parties who unanimously backed him as their choice for the President.