Who is Droupadi Murmu? NDA's Presidential candidate

Murmu could be India’s first tribal face to occupy the President’s post

As the Bharatiya Janata Party named former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu as the National Democratic Alliance’s presidential nominee, Murmu could be ticking another box of being the first, as she has done in several instances in the past.

She could be India’s first tribal face to occupy the President’s post. But, she has also been the first woman governor of Jharkhand when she was appointed in 2015 at the age of 59, and the first woman and tribal face from Odisha to be appointed governor. She was also the first to have completed a full term as the governor of Jharkhand.

After her nomination was announced by party president J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to praise her. “Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji,” Modi tweeted. He said that Murmu has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised, and her administrative and gubernatorial experience will keep her in good stead.

Also read | Presidential Polls: It’s Droupadi Murmu versus Yashwant Sinha

Murmu, whose name did the rounds as presidential candidate in 2017 as well, belongs to Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district and began her life as a teacher. Murmu’s political journey began in 1997 when she was elected councillor of Rairangpur district in Odisha.

She was elected MLA on BJP tickets from Rairangpur in 2000 and then in 2009. Between 2000 to 2002, Murmu was made minister of state with independent charge for Commerce and Transport in the BJP and BJD coalition government. Between 2002 and 2004, she was the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development minister.

She had also served as the vice-president of BJP’s Scheduled Tribes Morcha in Odisha between 2006 and 2009, and was elected party president in the Mayurbhanj district several times.

As she is likely to head to Raisina Hills, Murmu’s rural and rustic image has worked for her, said party sources. She has also emerged as a favourite with PM Modi over the years.

With Babulal Marandi and Arjun Munda being the other names in the offing, Murmu’s selection helps BJP with the right symbolism within both the tribal and women constituencies for the BJP, as the party appears keen to work with the tribal populations across the country.

The party has been focussing on building museums across the country of tribal freedom fighters, and has been criticising the Congress for "not celebrating" the lives of the tribal heroes who laid their lives during India’s freedom struggle. Murmu’s probable win in the presidential election in the 75th year of Indian independence will benefit the party immensely.

If she wins, Murmu will take the reins from Ramnath Kovind, a Dalit.

Murmu’s personal life is marred with tragedy, as she has lost both her sons and her husband. She has a daughter.