New Delhi, June 21: Draupadi Murmu, a tribal woman leader, is the Modi government’s pick for the presidential race. Earlier in the day, Yashwant Sinha was named the joint opposition candidate for the polls.
If elected, the 64-year-old will be the first tribal woman to become the President of India.
BJP parliamentary board discussed 20 names for presidential nominees, it was decided to pick someone from east India, a tribal and a woman, said BJP Chief JP Nadda.
Continuous breaking barriers
She is 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 and complete her tenure. She was the first woman to be sworn in as the Jharkhand Governor in 2015.
A two-time BJP legislator from Odisha, Murmu was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet when the Biju Janata Dal or BJD ruled the state with the support of the BJP.
She started her political career as a councilor, later becoming the Vice-Chairperson of the Rairangpur National Advisory Council or NAC.
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In 2013, she rose up to the ranks of a national executive member of the party’s ST Morcha. She was too awarded the “Nilakantha Award” for The Best MLA of the year 2007 by the Legislative Assembly of Odisha.
Draupadi Murmur handled various ministries in Odisha like Transport and commerce; earlier served across various departments like fisheries, animal husbandry, etc.
She was born in a tribal family struggling with poverty in one of the most remote and underdeveloped districts. She had completed her studies despite extreme circumstances.
An arts graduate from Rama Devi Women’s College – Bhubaneswar, she spent almost two decades in politics and social service.
