New Delhi [India], June 22 (HornbillTV): Draupadi Murmu, who was on Tuesday declared BJP-led NDA’s presidential candidate, is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a former Odisha minister.

She will face opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the presidential contest on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and country’s second female President.

Draupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021.

Born in a poor tribal family in a village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, Draupadi Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She taught at Shri Aurobindo integral Education Centre, Rairangpur.

Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women’s College Bhubaneswar.

She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Draupadi Murmu was member of Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. As a minister, she held portfolios of Transport and Commerce, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009.

In 2007, Odisha assembly honoured her with ‘Nilakantha Award’ for best MLA.

She served as junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983.

She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president state ST Morcha in * 1997.

Draupadi Murmu was a national executive member of BJP’s ST Morcha from 2013 to 2015 and served as BJP district chief of Mayurbhanj (West) in 2010 and 2013.

Between 2006 and 2009, she was chief of BJP’s ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after the declaration of Draupadi Murmu as NDA presidential candidate that she has devoted her life to serving society and empowering the poor. He expressed confidence that she will be a great President.

He said in a tweet that Draupadi Murmu had an outstanding gubernatorial tenure.

“Smt. Draupadi 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.

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

BJP chief JP Nadda said Draupadi Murmu possesses a lot of expertise in different areas.

“Smt Draupadi Murmu ji with her rich administrative experience, her great history of selfless social service and relentless zeal to work for the upliftment of society, will make her a great President for our country. Her personality is an inspiration to us all and a benchmark for us all to follow,” Nadda said.

“Her contributions to our nation are immense and she possesses a lot of expertise in different areas which will be of great benefit to our country. Her efforts towards the upliftment of the marginalised sections of the society are also widely celebrated,” he added.