Droupadi Murmu’s Journey: From Rairangpur Village to Rashtrapati Bhawan?

Born in Baidaposi village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district on June 20, 1958, Droupadi Murmu began her career as a teacher before going into politics in that state. She completed her 5-year term as the Governor of Jharkhand in 2020, making her the first female governor of Jharkhand.

Hailing her via a Tweet, PM Modi applauded Murmu for devoting her life to serving society and empowering the poor and marginalized, after she was nominated as the BJP-led NDA candidate for the presidential election today.

Showing his support for Murmu’s presidential candidature, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray announced, “There was no pressure on us, our MPs, Adivasi leaders, and other cadres had expressed the wish that we should support Murmu’s candidature as she was from the Adivasi community and a woman.”

Her childhood had been difficult because she was born into a tribal family that was struggling with poverty in one of the country's most isolated and impoverished regions.

Against all odds, Murmu earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Arts from Ramadevi Women’s College in Bhubaneshwar and started working as a junior assistant in the irrigation and power department in the Odisha government.

Her political career took off when she was appointed as the vice-chairman of the Rairangpur NAC. Moreover, she was awarded the Best MLA of the Year 2007 award by the Odisha Legislative Assembly. She was also the first tribal leader from Odia to be appointed governor of an Indian state and to hold the position for the rest of the term.

Murmu, a two-term former Rairangpur MLA, kept her assembly seat in 2009 even after the BJD severed ties with the BJP weeks before the state elections, which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik easily won.

Proving herself to be a true leader, Murmu has diverse experience in handling ministries such as commerce, fisheries, animal husbandry, and transport in the Odisha government under her belt.

Voting for the Presidential Election 2022 is underway today till 5 pm. The new President of India will be announced on 22nd July 2022.