Murmu in Parliament to file nomination as president, many BJP-NDA leaders present

New Delhi: The BJP-led NDA’s pick for president Droupadi Murmu reached Parliament on Friday to file her nomination papers, with a host of ruling party and alliance leaders on hand to endorse her application. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is tipped to be her first proposer.

The BJP has prepared four sets of nominations for Murmu’s candidature. Besides the prime minister, senior Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and BJP president J P Nadda will be signatories to the nomination papers.

Chief ministers of all BJP-led states, including Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath and Gujarat’s Bhupender Patel, as well as virtually the entire band of the party’s women and tribal MPs and legislators, will also be signatories. Besides the complement of NDA leaders, YSR Congress’ Vijaysai Reddy and BJD leader Sasmit Patra, who are not part of the alliance, were also in Parliament to back her nomination.

AIADMK leader O Paneerselvam and JD-U’s Rajiv Ranjan Singh reached Parliament early. Before filing her papers, Murmu will pay floral tributes at the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, and Birsa Munda. Every set of nominations to a president has to have 50 proposers and 50 seconders among elected representatives. If elected, Murmu will be the first tribal president and the second woman in the post.