PM Modi meets NDA Presidential candidate Murmu, says nomination lauded by all

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA’s Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, hours after her nomination was filed in the national capital.

“Met Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her Presidential nomination has been appreciated across India by all sections of society. Her understanding of grassroots problems and vision for India’s development is outstanding,” PM Modi tweeted.

Welcoming the NDA’s decision to choose Droupadi Murmu as a presidential candidate, Adivasi Jan Parishad chief Prem S Munda on Wednesday said that the Opposition parties should learn to include the tribal communities in the primary roles and appealed to them to unanimously elect Droupadi Murmu as the President of India.

The Adivasi Jan Parishad president also stated that no tribal person has got election as NDA’s presidential candidate after 75 years of independence in the country.

Janata Dal (United) also formally announced its support for the NDA’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu on Wednesday for the upcoming election.

Taking to Twitter, JD (U) national president Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh wrote, “Janata Dal (U) welcomes and supports the candidature of Draupadi Murmu ji. My heartiest congratulations on being nominated for the presidential election.”

Meanwhile, Lok Jan Shakti Party president Chirag Paswan has also rendered support to Murmu. He tweeted, “It is a matter of pride for us that Draupadi Murmu Ji has been nominated as the Presidential candidate by NDA. This would be the first time in the country that a daughter coming from a tribal society would assume the responsibility of the highest post in the country. LJP (Ram Vilas) fully supports this decision of the BJP.”

Droupadi Murmu is a former Odisha minister, who was declared BJP-led NDA’s presidential candidate on Tuesday.

Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021.

Coming from a poor tribal family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur.

She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009.

In 2007, the Odisha assembly honoured her with the ‘Nilakantha Award’ for best MLA. She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president of state ST Morcha in 1997.

Droupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJP’s ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP’s ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009.

Voting for the next President of India will kick start on July 18 whose counting will take place on July 21.