Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu sweeps temple floor before Delhi visit

Accompanied by friends and some family members, 64-year-old Murmu on Wednesday visited the temples of Lord Jagannath, Hanuman and Shiva in Rairangpur, the place from where she was first elected as an MLA in 2000

Updated on: Jun 22, 2022, 12:34:54 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party announced Droupadi Murmu’s name as the NDA’s Presidential candidate, setting the stage for India’s first tribal President, the former Jharkhand Governor visited several temples in Rairangpur area of her home town Mayurbhanj district in Odisha to offer prayers ahead of her departure to Delhi.

NDA’s President-nominee Droupadi Murmu in Odisha on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Accompanied by friends and some family members, 64-year-old Murmu on Wednesday visited the temples of Lord Jagannath, Hanuman and Shiva in Rairangpur, the place from where she was first elected as an MLA in 2000.

She also swept the premises of the Purandeswari Shiva temple before offering prayers. She is headed to Delhi via Bhubaneswar to file her nominations on Saturday.

Murmu also visited Prajapita Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya in Rairangpur. She was given a grand welcome and the Brahma Kumaris of Rairangpur said they are excited over her candidature.

“We are extremely happy over her selection. Even when she was the Governor of Jharkhand, she never had any air. She is a very simple and down to earth person,” said a Brahma Kumari.

Her neighbours in Rairangpur said they have been feeling too euphoric after the announcement last night. “We are still unable to come to terms that she is going to be the President. It would be a dream come true for the people of Mayurbhanj,” said Sunaram Murmu, a local.

Union minister of state for tribal affairs Bishweswar Tudu said it was a proud moment for Mayurbhanj. “The NDA has given priority to Mayurbhanj again. After my induction as a Union minister, selecting Murmu for the highest constitutional post of the country shows the priority of the NDA government. We all should cherish the great moment as Odias and as the citizens of Mayurbhanj,” he said.

Murmu has been provided Z plus security by the Union home ministry.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More