Droupadi Murmu made it to the long list of Presidential elections before too; all you need to know

Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, who is touted to become the first tribal woman to hold the topmost post, was in the consideration before too. In the 2017 Presidential elections that saw Ram Nath Kovind become the President of the country, Murmu was amid the names in the long list. 

However, she was thought to have some more years ahead of her. Now, finally in 2022, she is the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) candidate. 

“Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji 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,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi after her nomination announcement. 

“Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country,” he added.

Who is Droupadi Murmu?

Born on June 20, 1958, in a Santhali tribal family in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, Murmu was appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand in 2015. A BA graduate (1979) from Rama Devi Women’s University in Bhubaneswar, Murmu joined the BJP in 1997. 

But before she stepped into an illustrious career in politics, Murmu worked as a teacher. She also worked as a junior assistant in the Irrigation Department, and served as the Councillor of Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat in 1997. Murmu also served as the vice president of BJP’s Scheduled Tribes Morcha. The Presidential candidate was elected as the MLA from Rairangpur constituency twice – 2000 and 2009. 

She had also served as Minister of State (Independent Charge), Govt of Odisha, Department of Transport and Commerce, and Fisheries and Animal Resources department between 2000 and 2004. 

Droupadi Murmu was awarded the Nilakantha Award for best MLA by the Legislative Assembly of Odisha in 2007. 

However, the personal tragedies that befell Murmu along the way are also well known. Murmu lost her husband, Shyam Charan Murmu, and two sons in a span of four years. She has a daughter. 

Also read: BJP picks former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu as NDA candidate for presidential polls