'Historic Hour For Me, Women, Tribal Masses' Presidential Suitor Droupadi Murmu

Ahead of the presidential polls, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has announced Droupadi Murmu as their candidate on June 21 evening. The decision of nominating Murmu, who is the former Governor of Jharkhand, was made after a high-level meeting which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top brass. Her security has also been upgraded since the announcement of her being the next presidential candidate for NDA.

Speaking to a leading daily, her daughter Itishree noted that she received a call on Tuesday evening and the news was delivered which left her speechless for a good while. "Last evening, she got a call; it was probably from the honourable Prime Minister and after hearing the news she was overcome. Her eyes were brimming with tears; she barely managed to express gratitude because she was so overwhelmed," she recalled.

Reportedly, they spoke to Murmu briefly; she said that the moment is "historical for me, the tribals and the women". To which her daughter added that to Droupadi it all seemed like a dream. "From growing up in poverty to being nominated as a Presidential candidate, the journey is nothing short of a dream. Many people from our communities cannot even dream of making it this far," she added.

Droupadi Murmu, the 64-year-old politician, belongs to the state of Odisha and is from a tribal community. If elected, she will become the first tribal woman to assume the post of India's president since Independence scripting history. Murmu, who had quit working at the behest of her in-laws began teaching kids in her vicinity in the 90s which marked her journey as a social worker.

And in 1997, she began her political career as a Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat councillor and then went on to become Minister of State with independent charge for Commerce and Transport when the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition was in power in Odisha from March 6, 2000, to August 6, 2002; she later took charge of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development from August 6, 2002, to May 16, 2004.

Murmu also served as MLA from the Rairangpur Assembly constituency in the meanwhile.  She then served as Jharkhand’s governor and was the first woman who held the post.

Suggested Reading: Who Is Droupadi Murmu? Former Governor Of Jharkhand Now Presidential Nominee