Z security cover for Droupadi Murmu, NDA's presidential candidate: Report

The BJP on Tuesday announced Droupadi Murmu's nomination hours after the joint opposition picked former union minister Yashwant Sinha as its choice for the post.

A day after the NDA announced Droupadi Murmu as the NDA's presidential candidate, she has reportedly received round-the-clock Z+ category security cover by armed CRPF personnel on Wednesday.

Droupadi Murmu 

The BJP on Tuesday announced Murmu's nomination hours after the joint opposition picked former union minister Yashwant Sinha as its choice for the post.

The announcement was made by BJP president JP Nadda after the BJP parliamentary board meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nadda during the announcement stated that “for the first time a preference has been given to a woman tribal candidate”.

Droupadi Murmu has earlier served as the Jharkhand governor between 2015 and 2021. If she wins the election, Murmu will be the first tribal woman to be the country's president. Earlier Pratibha Patil has served as India's president.

Murmu has also served as a minister of state (independent charge) during the BJP-BJD coalition government. She has held the commerce and transport portfolio from March 2000 to August 2002 and then headed the fisheries and animal resources development ministry from August 2002 to May 2004.

The presidential elections will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes, if needed, will be conducted on July 21. The last date of nomination has been set for June 29. The new president has to be sworn in by July 25. President Ram Nath Kovind's tenure ends on July 24.

The president of India is elected indirectly by the votes cast by an electoral college that comprises the 776 members of Parliament (both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and the members of legislative assemblies. The value of the votes of the member assemblies combined is 543,231 and the MPs is 543,200 - coming to a total value of 1,086,431.