Draupadi Murmu picked as BJP-led NDA's candidate for Presidential elections

The BJP has chosen former Jharkhand governor Draupadi Murmu as the party’s pick for the upcoming Presidential elections on a day when the Opposition also chose Yashwant Sinha as its candidate.

The decision was taken at the BJP's parliamentary board meeting. The meeting was attended by PM Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders including JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, and others.

Addressing the press conference, BJP president JP Nadda said that after extensive discussions with NDA allies, it was felt that the Presidential candidate should come from Northeast and should be a woman tribal candidate.


The meeting was attended by senior BJP leaders including JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, and others.

"Draupadi Murmu has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised. She has rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure. I am confident she will be a great President of our nation," PM Modi tweeted.


In 2015, Draupadi Murmu was sworn in as the first female Governor of Jharkhand. She is an Odisha native from the Santhal tribe. Murmu began her career as a teacher before entering politics in Odisha in 1997. Draupadi Murmu was elected to the Rairangpur constituency twice, in 2000 and 2009, after serving as vice-president of the BJP's Scheduled Tribes Morcha.


Between 2000 and 2004, Draupadi Murmu served as a minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government of Odisha, first in the Commerce and Transport department and then in the Fisheries and Animal Resources department.

Earlier in the day, Shah, Singh and Nadda met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu earlier in the day, sparking buzz that he may be considered for the top constitutional position.

Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha was earlier chosen as the joint candidate of the Opposition for the presidential election. Sinha will file his nomination papers on June 27.

“I am grateful to Mamataji for the honour and prestige she bestowed on me in the TMC. Now a time has come when for a larger national cause, I must step aside from the party to work for greater opposition unity. I am sure she approves of the step," Sinha wrote on Twitter.

TMC leader Sinha stated on Tuesday that it was time to put party politics aside and work for the greater good of the country. The decision came shortly after the TMC announced his candidacy for the best position as a joint Opposition candidate.

Opposition leaders decided on Sinha's nomination during a Parliament annexe meeting hosted by NCP chief Sharad. The Congress, NCP, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, Samajwadi Party, National Conference, AIMIM, RJD, and AIUDF were among the parties who attended the meeting.