Tribal woman leader is NDA pick for President -Smriti Kak Ramachandran

-Hindustan Times

The announcement came hours after 17 opposition parties decided to field former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, currently with the Trinamool Congress, as its consensus candidate, after its first three choices demurred.

Droupadi Murmu, the former governor of Jharkhand, will be the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) nominee for the July 18 Presidential election, and most likely the next President of the Republic. The decision to nominate her was taken at the meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s parliamentary board chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

The announcement came hours after 17 opposition parties decided to field former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, currently with the Trinamool Congress, as its consensus candidate, after its first three choices demurred.

In the NDA’s case, Murmu’s name was among the first to do the rounds, although, as the decision neared, there was speculation of a more mainstream choice. By picking Murmu, a woman and a tribal, the BJP has yet again walked the talk on inclusion and empowerment.

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