BJP names Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, as the presidential candidate

The BJP parliamentary board named Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader of the party from Odisha will be NDA's candidate for the presidential election. BJP president JP Nadda made the announcement after a party meeting.

64-year-old Murmu is a former Jharkhand governor. If elected President, she will be the first tribal woman to serve in the top constitutional post.

Soon after the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Murmu will be a great President as she has devoted her life to serving society. He tweeted: "Smt. Droupadi Murmu has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor, the downtrodden, and the marginalised. She has a rich administrative experience and had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure."

He added that those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships derive great strength from the life of Droupadi Murmu. "Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country".

Murmu served as the 9th Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021 and is the first to complete a five-year term in the state. Being born in the Santal community of Odisha, she served as the vice-president of Bharatiya Janata Party's Scheduled Tribes Morcha. She was the Minister of State with independent charge of Commerce and Transport (2000-2002) and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (2002-2004).