A month ago, the former Governor of Jharkhand, Droupadi Murmu, made headlines as NDA chose her for Presidential candidature. On July 21, she did it again as she became India’s first tribal and second woman President. Now, Droupadi Murmu, the 15th President of India, made history with her overwhelming win.
As the first round of voting ended, Murmu secured her place with a significant lead of 540 votes valued at 523600. From being the first girl from her village to go to college, being the expected nominee for Presidential elections in 2017, and being NDA’s safe choice in 2022, Murmu made it to the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
From Tragedies To Triumph
Droupadi Mumru hails from the Santhal tribe in Odisha based in a remote district, Mayubhanj. However, she belongs to Rairangpur, the tehsil’s administrative centre, 287 kilometres from Bhubaneswar and 82 kilometres from Baripada. Until recently, her home village Uparbeda did not have a power connection.
Murmu has led a tragic life as she lost her husband, Shyam Charan Murmu, a bank employee, due to cardiac arrest. Later, she also lost her sons in 2009 and 2012. Her only surviving child is Itishree Murmu, who works at a Bhuvaneshwar bank.
Woman, Tribal, And President Of India
Droupadi Murmu’s career started as a primary school teacher. Soon, she became a junior assistant at Irrigation Department, following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather, who were Panchayat heads. In 1997, she became a member of Rairangpur Municipality and soon became the chairperson.
Her political career kickstarted when she became the MLA from Rairangpur in 2000. In the same year, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Dal (BJD)-BJP coalition government. Till 2005, the 15th President of India led several departments like commerce and transport, animal husbandry and fisheries.
In 2007, Odisha Assembly gave her the Nilkantha Award for the best MLA. She served as the BJP district president for Mayurbhanj for seven years, from 2002-2009. Later, in 2013, she became the President of Mayurbhanj. In 2015, at 59, India’s First Tribal President became the Governor of Jharkhand, a primarily tribal state.
According to the sources, Draupadi’s home village and former institutions she has worked with celebrate her win with a slam-bang with the sound of drums and the taste of sweets. Droupadi Murmu will take the oath as the new President of India on July 25.
Read More: Presidential Election Update: Droupadi Murmu Gains Lead With 540 Votes
