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BIG STORY JULY 22, 2022 | The Indian Eye 4

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

BJP PLAYS

TRIBAL CARD

NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu has the support of the YSR Congress Party,
Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Akali Dal, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Samajwadi Party ally Suheldev Bharatiya
Samaj Party and Shiv Sena. How did the BJP manage to break the Opposition unity?

OUR BUREAU cision this morning however denied
any cracks within his party’s alliance
New Delhi/Lucknow/Mumbai
with the Samajwadi Party, which
onfident of NDA candidate has pledged to support joint Oppo-
Droupadi Murmu’s victory sition candidate Yashwant Sinha.
Cin the Presidential elections, The SBSP has 6 MLAs in the Uttar
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans Pradesh legislative assembly. Ra-
to begin celebrating in more than jbhar said that Chief Minister Yogi
100,000 tribal villages as soon as the Adityanath and Union Home Minis-
results are announced on July 21. ter Amit Shah asked him to support
The voting for the next President the NDA candidate in the presiden-
of India will start on July 18 while tial elections slated to be held on July
counting will take place on July 21. 18.
The BJP workers have been in- “Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
structed to begin the celebration af- had invited us for dinner to discuss
ter the announcement of the victory extending support to Murmu. He
of Murmu all over the country, espe- said that since I was vocal on issues of
cially among the tribal community in relating to the backward classes, Dal-
more than one lakh villages across its and minorities, I should support
the country. According to sources, Murmu’s candidature. Union Home
the BJP high command has instruct- Minister Amit Shah spoke to me af-
ed the office bearers and workers ter July 12 and said the same things,”
that the BJP will celebrate the victory Rajbar said addressing a press con-
of Droupadi Murmu in every part of ference here today.
the country. BJP is preparing to cele- “Shah urged me to support Mur-
brate in about 15,000 Mandals. mu in the elections and I decided
BJP’s plan is that the message that my party will support her,” the
of victory of the country’s first tribal NDA Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu with Union Minister of Road Transport & SBSP chief added.
woman to the highest post should not Highways Nitin Gadkari at a meeting in Mumbai on Thursday (ANI) Rajbhar had joined hands with
only go to the whole country but it the BJP prior to the 2017 Assembly
should also reach the tribal commu- backward district in Odisha, Murmu the YSR Congress Party, Biju Janata elections before parting ways with it.
nity of the country. As soon as Mur- completed her studies despite chal- Dal (BJD), Akali Dal and Jharkhand He joined the Akhilesh Yadav-led
mu’s victory is announced on July 21, lenging circumstances. Mukti Morcha (JMM). However, the alliance before the 2022 Assembly
instructions have been given to put Murmu is the first presidential Congress-led opposition has fielded elections in the state. Rajbhar had
up hoardings and posters of Droupa- candidate from Odisha of a major former Union minister Yashwant said recently that he would decide
di Murmu in these tribal villages. political party or alliance. Sinha against Murmu for the presi- on whether to support Murmu or
According to sources, instruc- Murmu was a national executive dential election on July 18. the Opposition-backed presidential
tions have also been given not to put member of BJP’s ST Morcha from Meanwhile, in another setback candidate Yashwant Singh in a few
up posters of any leader other than 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP dis- to the Opposition ahead of Presiden- days’ time while also suggesting “all
Murmu on this day. Murmu is a for- trict chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in tial polls, Samajwadi Party ally Suhel- is well” in the Samajwadi Party-led
mer Governor of Jharkhand and a 2010 and 2013. Between 2006 and dev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) alliance.
former Odisha minister. If elected, 2009, she was chief of BJP’s ST Mor- chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Friday However, the SBSP chief had
she will be the first tribal President cha in Odisha. She was a member confirmed his support for the NDA expressed discontentment over not
of India and the country’s second fe- of the national executive of BJP ST presidential candidate Droupadi being called by Akhilesh Yadav for a
male President. Born in a poor tribal Morcha from 2002 to 2009. Murmu. meeting held on July 7. “Akhilesh Ya-
family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a Murmu also has the support of Rajbhar who announced his de- Continued at next page... >>

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