Droupadi Murmu Elected as India's First Tribal President

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Droupadi Murmu, a 64-year-old tribal leader from Odisha, has been elected as the 15th President of India. She is the first person from the tribal community to hold this high office and also the youngest president to be elected after India's independence in 1947.

Background

Murmu was born on June 20, 1958, in Uparbeda village of the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha. She hails from the Santhal community, one of the largest tribal communities in India. Murmu began her political career as a councilor in the Rairangpur Notified Area Council in 1997. She went on to serve as the chairperson of the council from 2000 to 2009.

Political Career

In 2009, Murmu was elected as a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the Rairangpur constituency. She served as the Minister of State for Commerce and Transport in the Government of Odisha from 2010 to 2015. In 2015, she was elected as the Governor of Jharkhand, becoming the first woman governor of the state. She held this position until July 2021.

Presidential Election

In June 2022, Murmu was nominated as the candidate for President of India by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). She faced off against Yashwant Sinha, a former finance minister, who was the candidate of the opposition United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Murmu won the election with a comfortable majority, securing 676,803 votes, while Sinha received 380,177 votes.

Significance

Murmu's election as President of India is a historic moment for the country. It is the first time that a person from a tribal community has been elected to this high office. Her election is seen as a recognition of the contributions of the tribal communities to Indian society and is expected to inspire future generations of tribal youth.