The presidential candidate by BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Droupadi Murmu on Friday filed her nomination papers at the Parliament Library Building in New Delhi.
Murmu’s name was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Chief Ministers of BJP-rules states, MLAs, MPs also proposed her name for the presidential race.
During her nomination filing,PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda, Union ministers and BJP leaders Gen VK Singh (Retd), Bhupender Yadav and Giriraj Singh were present.
The Chief Ministers of all BJP-ruled states including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Assam Chief Minister and Himanta Biswa Sarma among others were present during her nomination filing.
Besides, the NDA partners, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) leader V Vijayasai Reddy and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Tukuni Sahu, BJJD MP Dr Sasmit Patra and Jagannath Saraka also present.
Draupadi Murmu is the first woman tribal leader to file her nomination for the top constitutional post of the country. She is a seasoned politician from Odisha coupled with an extensive background in the field of academics reflects that she will uplift the tribal sections of the country.
Murmu is also a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister.
She will face opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the presidential contest on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country's second female President.
Droupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021.
Born in a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Droupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur.
Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women's College Bhubaneswar.
She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009.
In 2007, the Odisha assembly honoured her with the 'Nilakantha Award' for best MLA.
She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983.
She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president of state ST Morcha in 1997.
Droupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJP's ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013.
Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP's ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009.
(With Inputs from ANI)