Draupadi Murmu: First tribal woman to be elected President of India

Presidential Election 2022: Draupadi Murmu, the new President of India, is the country’s first tribal woman to win the top constitutional post. Murmu, a BJP leader, was NDA’s candidate for Presidential Election 2022 and had a clear edge over her political opponent Yashwant Sinha. Murmu was the former Governor of Jharkhand. Apart from this, Murmu also created history by becoming the first President of Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She was also the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Murmu comes from a poor tribal family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha

Murmu completed her studies despite challenging circumstances. She also taught at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur. Born on June 20, 1958, she pursued BA at Ramadevi Women`s College Bhubaneswar.

Draupadi Murmu: Political career

She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Murmu was a member of the 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, the Odisha assembly honoured her with the `Nilakantha Award for best MLA. 

Murmu also served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. She has held several organisational posts in BJP and was vice president of state ST Morcha in 1997. 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 also the chief of BJP`s ST Morcha in Odisha. She was a member of the national executive of BJP ST Morcha from 2002 to 2009. 

(With agency inputs)