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PoliticsIndia

Indian tribal politician elected president

July 21, 2022

Draupadi Murmu will be India's first Indigenous president and the second woman in the country's history to hold that office.

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Draupadi Murmu from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Draupadi Murmu is a member of the Santhal tribe of Odisha Image: Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Indian lawmakers on Thursday elected Draupadi Murmu for the largely ceremonial role of the president, making her the first president from one of the country's tribal communities.

Murmu, a 64-year-old, also becomes just the second woman to take over the role.

"A daughter of India hailing from a tribal community born in a remote part of eastern India has been elected our President!" Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. 

Over 4,500 lawmakers from both the national and state parliaments voted in the presidential election,

Murmu managed to secure victory with the backing of her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is currently in power.

What is Murmu's background?

Murmu belongs to the Santhal tribe of Odisha which is spread over several states in eastern India.

She had worked as a teacher before entering the political arena. Murmu has been a legislator twice, on a BJP ticket, in 2000 and 2009.

In 2015, Murmu was appointed as the first female governor of the eastern state of Jharkhand and held the position until July 2021.

Some see Murmu's presidential election as a triumph of tribal political aspirations and a breakthrough moment for the community, which has long been neglected and exploited under several governments.

Murmu to take office on July 25

The term of India's current president, Ram Nath Kovind, ends on July 25, which is when the new president is set to take the oath of office.

The country's constitution mandates lawmakers to fill the presidential position before the incumbent president's term is up.

India's president is a largely ceremonial position, and executive powers are wielded by the prime minister and his cabinet under India's constitution.

Still, the position is considered a highly prestigious one. The president can play a decisive role during times of political instability by deciding which party can best form a federal government when general elections are inconclusive. The president also holds the power to grant death-row pardons.

kb/dj (Reuters, AP)