Page 6 - The Indian EYE 070122

NATION JULY 01, 2022 | The Indian Eye 6

Who is Droupadi Murmu? A tribal leader

from Odisha who could be next President

On June 21, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was named as the common candidate

of the Opposition for the Presidential elections

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi/Mumbai
he presidential candidate nom-
inated by the Bharatiya Jana-
Tta Party-led NDA, Droupadi
Murmu on Friday filed her nomina-
tion papers at the Parliament Library
Building in the national capital.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
proposed her name for the nomina-
tion, which was seconded by Defense
Minister Rajnath Singh. The second
set of proposers were the chief minis-
ters of BJP-ruled states, the third pro-
posers were MLAs and MPs from Hi-
machal and Haryana and the fourth set
were MLAs and MPs from Gujarat.
Droupadi Murmu, the first wom- National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister
an tribal leader to file her nomination Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to file her nomination papers, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo/JP Nadda Twitter)
for the top constitutional post of the
country, is a seasoned politician from
Odisha coupled with an extensive in Irrigation and Power Department People’s Party (NPP) is supporting
background in the field of academics between 1979 and 1983. She has held her candidature. “I am extremely
reflects that she will uplift the tribal several organizational posts in BJP thrilled. It has been a part of our ide-
sections of the country. and was vice president of state ST ology. My late father PS Sangma had
Droupadi Murmu, who was de- Morcha in 1997. once said that one day a tribal person
clared BJP-led NDA’s presidential Droupadi Murmu was a national will become the President of India. It
candidate, is a former Governor of executive member of BJP’s ST Mor- is dream come true for all of us. We
Jharkhand and a former Odisha min- cha from 2013 to 2015 and served are supporting her candidature,” said
ister. She will face opposition can- as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj Sangma.
didate Yashwant Sinha in the presi- (West) in 2010 and 2013. Between Meanwhile, the Central govern-
dential contest on July 18. If elected, 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP’s ment has provided ‘Z’ category armed
she will be the first tribal President of ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a security cover of Central Reserve Po-
India and the country’s second female member of the national executive of lice Force to Opposition presidential
President. BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. candidate Yashwant Sinha, official
Droupadi Murmu is the first Besides, the NDA partners, in- sources said on Friday.
presidential candidate from Odisha cluding Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal Now, former Union Minister and
of a major political party or alliance. (United), Odisha Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader
She continues to break barriers and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, the Yashwant Sinha will be guarded round
was the first woman governor of YSR Congress led by Jagan Mohan the clock by armed CRPF personnel.
Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha has Reddy has also announced its support On June 21, Sinha was named as
Governor from 2015 to 2021. been named as the joint opposition candi- to the candidature of Murmu. the common candidate of the Oppo-
Born in a poor tribal family in a Union Minister for Tribal Affairs sition for the Presidential elections.
village of Mayurbhanj, a backward date for President polls. (ANI Photo) Arjun Munda at Parliament Library Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had
district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu Building in Delhi said that the peo- made the announcement of his name
completed her studies despite chal- Assembly from Rairangpur between ple of the country especially the tribal as the presidential candidate of the
lenging circumstances. She taught at 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held community are feeling proud of her opposition during a meeting.
Shri Aurobindo Integral Education portfolios of Transport and Com- nomination. “The people of the coun- Sinha, who had quit the Bhara-
Centre, Rairangpur. merce, Animal Husbandry and Fish- try especially the tribal community are tiya Janata Party in 2018, joined the
Born on June 20, 1958, she pur- eries. She again served as MLA in the feeling proud of the nomination of TMC last year. He was later appoint-
sued BA at Ramadevi Women’s Col- Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. Droupadi Murmu as a presidential can- ed as the party’s vice-president.
lege Bhubaneswar. She started her In 2007, the Odisha assembly didate. This is historic,” said Munda. The election of the office of the
political career as Rairangpur NAC honored her with the ‘Nilakantha Meghalaya CM Conrad Sang- President of India is scheduled for
vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was Award’ for best MLA. ma on NDA’s presidential candidate July 18 and the counting of votes, if
a member of the Odisha Legislative She served as a junior assistant Droupadi Murmu said that National needed, will be done on July 21.

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