MANISH GUPTA
Ranchi, July 4: BJP-led NDA’s Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu today met JMM President Shibu Soren and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking their and their party’s support for the upcoming presidential polls on July 18.
The JMM later issued a statement saying that the NDA Presidential candidate Murmu met the party leaders and sought support for her in the upcoming presidential polls. Murmu was accompanied by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs and former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, Minister of State for External Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi, and state BJP President Deepak Prakash.
Earlier in the day, she met NDA MLAs and MPs from the state at BNR Chanakya Hotel for about three hours as part of her campaign to garner support from the lawmakers across India. She will be the first tribal woman to become India’s President if she wins the polls.
“As the NDA candidate she appealed to all the MLAs and MPs present in the meeting to support her in the polls. All political parties should unanimously elect her as India’s first tribal lady President,” said BJP’s Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth coming out of the meeting.
Murmu, who was the Governor of Jharkhand between 2015 and 2021, made a heart-touching appeal to the lawmakers for their support in the closed-door meeting.
“She talked about her humble beginnings in a remote village as a teacher and how she never expected to become a Governor and now a Presidential candidate. When the Prime Minister told her about it, she wanted to know if she was capable enough.”
“To which, the Prime Minister said that the Constitution will give her strength. Further, he said that the entire country and NDA will stand with her,” Seth said. Murmu becoming the President will be a matter of pride for the entire country, particularly Jharkhand, he added.
BJP Dhanbad MP Pashupati Nath Singh said, “She did a good job as the Governor as there were no complaints from any side. She had very cordial relations with Hemant Soren and thus deserves to be supported by all across party lines.”
Murmu also met Padma Shri awardees from the state namely Ashok Bhagat, Mukund Nayak and Jamuna Tudu after the meeting with the NDA lawmakers at the hotel.
“We have a brother-sister relationship. She tied rakhi on my hand. We have extended our best wishes and hope that she gets support from all sides,” said Bhagat.
Mukund Nayak, who also appealed for support to her from across party lines, sang for her victory in his traditional folk style.
