| Quick Info→ | |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Draupadi Murmu |
| Profession: | Indian politician |
| Birthplace: | Uparbeda, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India |
| Spouse: | Shyam Chandra Murmu |
| Age: | 64 |
Draupadi Murmu (born 20 June 1958) is an Indian politician and was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. She is the official nominee of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance for the 2022 presidential election. Murmu is the first person belonging to a scheduled tribe to be nominated as a candidate for the post of President of India. She served as the ninth Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021.
|
Draupadi Murmu Biography
|
|
|---|---|
| 9th Governor of Jharkhand | |
| In office 18 May 2015 – 12 July 2021 |
|
| Chief Ministers | Raghubar Das Hemant Soren |
| Preceded by | Syed Ahmed |
| Succeeded by | Ramesh Bais |
| Minister of State, Government of Odisha | |
|
Independent Charge
|
|
| In office 6 August 2002 – 16 May 2004 |
|
| Governor | M. M. Rajendran |
| Chief Minister | Naveen Patnaik |
| Ministry | Fisheries and Animal Resources Development |
| In office 6 March 2000 – 6 August 2002 |
|
| Governor | M. M. Rajendran |
| Chief Minister | Naveen Patnaik |
| Ministry | Commerce and Transport |
| Member of Odisha Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 5 March 2000 – 21 May 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Laxman Majhi |
| Succeeded by | Shyam Charan Hansdah |
| Constituency | Rairangpur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 June 1958 Uparbeda, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse(s) |
Shyam Chandra Murmu (died 2014)
|
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Rama Devi Women’s University |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Teacher |
Personal life
Draupadi Murmu was born in a Santali tribal family on June 20, 1958, in Uparbeda village of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha, to Biranchi Narayan Tudu. Both her father and grandfather were elected as sarpanch under the Panchayati Raj system.
Draupadi Murmu married Shyam Charan Murmu, a banker who died in 2014. The couple had two sons, both of whom are dead, and a daughter. She lost her husband and two sons in 4 years.
Teaching career
Murmu started as a school teacher before entering state politics. She worked as an assistant professor at the Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Institute, Rairangpur, and as a Junior Assistant at the irrigation department of the Government of Odisha.
Political career
Murmu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1997 and was elected as the councilor of the Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat. Murmu became the Chairperson of Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat in 2000. She also served as the national vice-president of BJP Scheduled Tribes Morcha.
During the BJP and Biju Janata Dal coalition government in Odisha, she was the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Commerce and Transportation from March 6, 2000, to August 6, 2002, and Fisheries and Animal Resources Development from August 6, 2002, to May 16, 2004. She is a former Odisha Minister and an MLA from the Rairangpur Assembly constituency in 2000 and 2004. She was conferred Nilkantha Award for best MLA by Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2007.
Governor of Jharkhand
Murmu took oath as the Governor of Jharkhand on 18 May 2015, becoming the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. She was the first female tribal leader from Odisha to be appointed governor of an Indian state.
As Governor in 2017, Murmu had refused to give assent to a bill approved by the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly seeking amendments to the Chhotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act, 1949. The bill sought to give rights to tribals to make commercial use of their land while ensuring that land ownership does not change. Murmu sought an explanation from the Raghubar Das-led BJP government about the changes it would bring to the well-being of tribals.
2022 presidential campaign
In June 2022, the BJP nominated Murmu as the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate for President of India for the 2022 election.
Murmu visited various states as part of the campaign around the country, seeking support for her candidature from BJP lawmakers and other opposition parties. She visited NE states, the JMM party of Jharkhand, BJD of Odisha, Shiv Sena of Maharashtra, BSP of Uttar Pradesh, JDS of Karnataka, and many others were some of the prominent opposition parties that extended their support to her.
Controversies stirred when Congress called Murmu a dummy candidate of the BJP through its tweet. RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav called her a statue and stated that Rashtrapati Bhavan did not need one.
