The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has declared Odisha’s tribal leader Draupadi Murmu (64) as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential candidate.
Murmu will face the common opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha (84). Murmu’s name was stamped in the party’s parliamentary board meeting in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Murmu has been the first tribal woman governor of Jharkhand.
BJP President JP Nadda announced her name after the meeting. After raising a Dalit to the country’s highest post five years ago, the BJP has now given an important political message by electing a tribal woman.
Murmu belongs to the largest tribal community of the country, the Santhals. The math of votes is in favour of NDA. The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha has announced its support for her.
Winning Murmu’s election is being considered a formality. In about 50 per cent votes of NDA, 31 thousand votes of BJD were also added. Some other parties may also declare support. Earlier, in a meeting led by NCP chief Sharad Pawar at Parliament House annexe, former BJP leader and now Trinamool Congress vice-president Sinha was chosen as the joint candidate by the opposition.
Trinamool, NCP, CPI(M), CPI, SP, National Conference, AIMIM, RJD and AIUDF participated in the meeting, including Congress. TRS, BJD, AAP, Akali Dal, and YSRCP stayed away from the meeting as before. However, due to the political crisis in Maharashtra, no one reached Shiv Sena.
It is worth mentioning that Murmu, born in Odisha, started her political career as a councillor. Elected MLA for the first time in the year 2000. Murmu, a minister twice in the BJP-BJD government, has also been a governor.
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