New Delhi: BJP has beaten the Opposition to it choosing Droupadi Murmu for the president on Tuesday evening.
Opposition's choice of former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha has sunken in the ensuing clamor.
Murmu, the 64-year-old tribal leader from Odisha, was previously the governor of Jharkhand.
She is the first of her community to become the governor.
Now that she is the NDA choice for president, Murmu has become the first tribal woman running for the Rashrapathi Bhavan.
Droupadi Murmu was a cabinet minister in Navin Patnaik administration in Odisha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to congratulate Murmu saying Droupadi Murmu devoted her life serving society and empowering the poor, downtrodden as well as the marginalised.
PM Modi hoped that Murmu's rich administrative experience would make her a great President.
The Opposition camp has been caught unawares by NDA's presidential choice.
None of the Opposition had even a vague idea that BJP was going to stun them.
Mamata Banerjee called a whirlwind meeting of 17 parties in Delhi last week to decide a consensus candidate.
They discussed certain veteran names like Sharad Pawar and Farooq Abudullah, eventually picked up former finance minister Yashwant Sinha.
NDA, especially BJP, was silent all along over its choice, and even held talks with Opposition parties for names.
Now Opposition, according to India Today, would find difficult not to support Murmu.
She was the Governor of tribal majority Jharkhand ruled by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which is a UPA partner.
Murmu will make Jharkhand Mukti Morach helpless as the party belongs with the Opposition, whose choice is Yashwant Sinha.
JMM cannot say no to a tribal leader becoming president, and the party has to showcase its pro-tribal face.
When she was Governor, Murmu failed BJP administrations land tenancy acts by seeking to amend the bill.
Back then, tribals came out opposing the BJP government of Jharkhand.
Her steadfastness makes her highly admirable leader among tribal community. Murmu's administrative skills are being praised now.
A president from tribal community could favour BJP in the upcoming Gujarat polls where tribal community forms 14 percent of the population.
Murmu could help BJP make inroads in Northeast where tribal communities form most of the population.
The likes of Chhattisgarh could have some impact from Murmu's candidature, where BJP could gain ground after losing in the previous Assembly polls.
This is going to help BJP in Madhya Pradesh where 20 percent tribal population can get enamoured of BJP.
The Opposition's Yashwant Sinha gives the vibes of being a Delhi politician with fewer fans at grassroots.