NEW DELHI: Appearing almost sure to be elected as the country’s first tribal, second woman and youngest President, BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s candidate Droupadi Murmu filed her nomination papers on Friday in four sets for the July 18 presidential election.
She reached Parliament with a host of Union ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, NDA leaders and leaders from other supporting parties.
Murmu will also be first Indian President to have been born after Independence. Wrapped in a white coloured saree, Murmu first paid floral tributes at the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr BR Ambedakar and tribal icon Birsa Munda before filing her nomination. “They are the sacred souls, who are sources of energy, confidence and encouragement for me,” Murmu said after paying the tribute.
She reached the chamber of Returning Officer PC Mody accompanied by PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda and others. Modi as the first proposer submitted the papers of proposers along with the nomination papers in four sets to the Returning Officer in presence of a host of his cabinet colleagues and other leaders. Every set of nomination of the candidate has to have signatures of 50 proposers and 50 seconded proposers as per the set norms for presidential elections.
Among the BJP CMs who were present during the nomination were UP’s Yogi Aditaynath, MP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Haryana’s M L Khattar, Karnataka’s B S Bommai, Gujarat ‘s Bhupendra Patel, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma, Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami, Goa’s Pramod Sawant and Manipur’s N Biren Singh. Showing their support to Murmu, leaders of other supporting parties like V Vijaysai Reddy from YSRCP, Sasmit Patra from the BJD and O Paneerselvam from AIADMK were present during her nomination. The BJP has formed a committee of 14 members to support Murmu in electioneering across the country. She will be touring to the state capitals to garner support and interacting with lawmakers.
NDA nominee dials Sonia, Mamata
NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, after calling on the PM Modi, Union ministers and BJP leaders, also called three key Opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, seeking their support for her candidature on. Sources in BJP said that Murmu rang TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Congress’ interim president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. “She is calling almost all leaders of every party with a request for support. Every leader has conveyed his or her wishes for her election,” a senior BJP leader said.