A woman of 64 years of age from India’s tribal minority, Droupadi Murmu, was elected as the country’s president on Thursday with the backing of the ruling party, making her the first person from the marginalised community to occupy the top post.
Murmu, who is from the Santhal tribe, secured the largely ceremonial position with the support of more than half the electorate of MPs and state legislators, partial results released by the election commission showed.
Murmu, 64, was nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the post.
Modi tweeted to congratulate Murmu, saying her “exemplary success motivates each and every Indian”.
Also Read: JAMB Removes NABTEB As Requirement For Direct Entry Into University, Others
“She has emerged as a ray of hope for our citizens, especially the poor, marginalised and the downtrodden.”
Her closest rival, the opposition-backed Yashwant Sinha — an ex-member of the BJP and former finance and external affairs minister, also tweeted his congratulations.
“India hopes that as the 15th President of the Republic she functions as the custodian of the Constitution without fear or favour,” Sinha wrote.
Murmu will be the country’s second woman president after Pratibha Patil, who held the position for five years from 2007, and succeeds Ram Nath Kovind, the second president from the Dalit community, the bottom of the Hindu caste system.
Follow Us On WhatsApp For Latest Update
