New Delhi: Former Jharkhand governor and BJP women tribal leader Draupadi Murmu is the NDA’s presidential candidate. The decision was taken by BJP national president JP Nadda at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here on Tuesday night, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NDA also announced its candidate after former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha was declared the common opposition candidate.
The NDA candidate, who secured 49 per cent of the vote, won the presidential election. The last date for submitting nomination papers for the July 18 elections is June 29.
Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP president JP Nadda were also present at the party’s parliamentary board meeting.
Born in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, 64-year-old Murmu became a state minister in 2000. He remained a minister until 2003. He was the BJP Mayurbhanj district president from 2002 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2015. He was sent to Jharkhand as Governor while he was the State President of the Tribal Morcha. Murmu started his political career as a BJP councilor from Rairangpur district. She later became the Vice Chairperson.
Amit Shah and Nadda met Vice President Venkaiah Naidu before the parliamentary board meeting, sparking rumors that he would be the next presidential candidate.
