The BJP on Tuesday named Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader of the party from Odisha, as the ruling NDA’s candidate for the presidential election, sending out a significant political message after elevating a Dalit, Ram Nath Kovind, to the top post five years back.
BJP president JP Nadda announced her name at a press conference following a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.
Murmu served as governor of Jharkand from 2015-2021. A two time former BJP MLA representing Rairangpur assembly seat in Odisha, she was a minister of state in Naveen Patnaik council in the BJP-BJD coalition government from 2000 to 2004.
She held the portfolios of commerce and transport from 2000 to 2002 and fisheries and animal resource development from 2002 to 2004 in Naveen Council.
She had bagged the “best legislator” award in 2007.
Murmu life was trouble with multiple personal tragedies. Her husband was died of cardiac arrest. While one of her son died in under mysterious circumstances in 2009 the other died in a road mishap in 2012.
