India's new President: 5 key facts about Droupadi Murmu

Droupadi Murmu (Left) won more votes of members of parliament (MPs) and India’s electoral college. Around 4,800 members of India's parliament and legislative assemblies cast their votes to elect the president. Murmu had an upper hand and a clear advantage over opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha (Right), with over 60% votes cast in her favour. India thus gets its first tribal woman as President.

She represented the Rairangpur Assembly seat in the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2009 and held multiple portfolios in the state government. Her political journey started back in 1997 when she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was subsequently elected as the councillor of the Rairangpur district of Odisha -- a seat reserved for tribals. In 2015, Murmu was made the Governor of Jharkhand. She was the first tribal governor of the state.

Droupadi Murmu’s personal life has been a story of tragedy and courage. Her two sons and husband died in a span of 4 years. Her eldest son died in mysterious circumstances. Murmu turned to spirituality to come out of the depression she had slipped into after the spate of personal tragedies. India’s new President is known to be a keen yoga practitioner and has an affable personality.

After choosing a Dalit, Ram Nath Kovind, as a Presidential candidate in the previous elections, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance went with a tribal woman as its nominee for the 2022 Presidential elections. Murmu will be the youngest President of India and the first one to be born after India's independence in 1947.

From an employee in the irrigation department to the head of the state of the Republic of India and the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces, Droupadi Murmu has covered a long way. She worked as a class-III employee in the Odisha Irrigation Department after completing her graduation. Before entering into politics, Murmu was a school teacher. She takes oath as the next President of India on July 25.