Team News Riveting
New Delhi, June 22
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today cleared the air and announced to back the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA candidate in the upcoming Presidential election.
On Tuesday, the BJP chief JP Nadda announced Draupadi Murmu from Odisha as NDA’s Presidential candidate for the upcoming election. The BJP parliamentary board discussed 20 names for the presidential nominee and finally, it was decided to pick someone from east India, a tribal and a woman.
The announcement of Murmu’s name for the top post had sparked speculations in the political circles with reports circulating that BJP-NDA candidate was selected with the consent of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. It was reported that Odisha Chief Minister, whose party did not attend the meeting convened by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to field joint opposition candidate, had prior knowledge about the selection of Draupadi Murmu as BJP-led NDA’s Presidential nominee.
Patnaik however endorsed it. “I was delighted when Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji discussed this with me. It is indeed a proud moment for people of #Odisha,” Naveen had tweeted on Tuesday. In a tweet today evening, Patnaik wrote, “Appeal all the members of Odisha Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, to extend unanimous support to elect the daughter of Odisha – Smt #DraupadiMurmu to the country’s highest office.”
With the BJD backing NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, the vote share of the ruling dispensation has now crossed 50 per cent, virtually, paving the way for her election as the first tribal President and the youngest too.
After the support of Naveen Patnaik’s party, the NDA nominee has around 52 per cent votes (around 5,67,000 votes) out of a total of 10,86,431 votes of all electors.
The NDA’s presidential nominee Draupadi Murmu has been accorded a Z+ security cover of CRPF commandos.
