National Democratic Alliance (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu invoked Jana Sangh co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and referred to Uttar Pradesh’s rich cultural heritage besides its contribution to the freedom struggle while seeking support for her campaign at a meeting of lawmakers of the BJP and its allies in Lucknow on Friday.
Speaking at the same meeting, chief minister Yogi Adityanath appealed to all the lawmakers to support Murmu.
She was drawing support not just from NDA allies, but even party barriers seem to be falling, said Adityanath who welcomed her with a model of the Ayodhya Ram temple at Lok Bhavan as the former Jharkhand governor received a rousing reception on her arrival in the state capital on Friday. All the BJP leaders and lawmakers, along with the party’s allies, were present in full strength on the occasion.
Before he went to welcome Murmu, chief minister Yogi Adityanath told his BJP lawmakers and functionaries that through her candidature, his party leadership has sent out a strong message to the society.
“The BJP has sent out a strong message to the society through Murmu’s candidature as we don’t believe in dynastic politics. We believe in politics for the nation,” he said.
Later, as Droupadi Murmu spoke, lawmakers responded with a unanimous show of support by clapping spontaneously.
{{/usCountry}}Later, as Droupadi Murmu spoke, lawmakers responded with a unanimous show of support by clapping spontaneously.
{{/usCountry}}“A woman born in a tribal community has come to seek your support. Despite constraints, I pursued higher education mainly due to a strong will. I have worked throughout for the backward, downtrodden and the tribal communities,” Murmu said.
“I seek the support of each and every lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh,” she said.
She recalled how U.P. was the land of Deendayal Upadhyaya, who had propounded the philosophy of antyodaya of reaching out to the last man.
“U.P. is associated with Deendayalji, it is a land where Atal ji edited Panchjanya and now it’s the karmabhoomi of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the world’s most popular leader,” she said.
Recalling the cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh, she said, “I bow to this great land where Ramayana and Mahabharata were created. The land of Jainism and Buddhism, of arts and culture, the land where each district is famous for some product, the flute of Pilibhit, bangles of Ferozabad and the sarees of Banaras .. Here, one experiences divine bliss.”
She also recalled U.P.’s contribution to freedom struggle.
Yogi Adityanath thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing a woman from tribal community for country’s top Constitutional role.
“PM Modi has given us all, a unanimously acceptable face for the post of the President,” he said
“There hasn’t been a single negative voice on Murmu’s candidature. This is a moment of great pride for all of us. There will always be those who would do politics. If BJD has supported her in Odisha, Jharkhand has supported her, political boundaries melted in her support in Andhra and Punjab and thus a similar picture will unfold in U.P. too and caste barriers will give way,” he said.
“It is greatly inspirational to realise how a woman born in a tribal community gets connected to BJP’s service campaign, worked as lawmaker and a minister and continued to work selflessly for the poor and downtrodden,” he said.
Murmu began her campaign in U.P. after garlanding the statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
BJP alliance leaders, including Union minister Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal (Sonelal) and U.P. minister and Nishad party leader Sanjay Nishad were present both at the airport as well as at the Lok Bhavan to welcome Murmu, widely tipped to be become the country’s first tribal and second woman President after the July 18 elections.
Union ministers Smriti Irani, Mahendra Nath Pandey, besides Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from U.P. were present at Lok Bhavan to express their support for Murmu.
Yogi Adityanath, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya, Brajesh Pathak, U.P. BJP chief Swatantra Dev and BJP’s alliance partners received the NDA candidate at the airport.
From there, Murmu left in a motorcade with party cadres showering flower petals on her.
At the airport, the BJP’s scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) wing got several tribal women to welcome the presidential nominee.
Throughout the route of Murmu’s motorcade, the BJP and its allies had put up welcome posters for the NDA’s presidential candidate.
At several places in the state capital, tribal women and folk artistes put up a cultural show and few U.P. ministers like former IPS officer turned BJP lawmaker from Kannauj Asim Arun was seen playing dhol (drum) to welcome her. Tribal women were spotted at the airport and showered flowers as Murmu’s motorcade left.
During her brief stay at the VVIP guest house, Murmu also posed with some tribal dancers who performed on the occasion.
Droupadi Murmu arrived in Lucknow after securing the support of the ruling Biju Janata Dal in Odisha, her home state.