Who is Draupadi Murmu? Everything you should know about BJP Presidential candidate
New Delhi: Draupadi Murmu was on Tuesday nominated as the Presidential candidate of the ruling NDA. She will be pitted against former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha who was nominated as the candidate of opposition earlier in the day.
Murmu is a former Governor of Jharkhand and a tribal leader from Odisha. She was the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. The 64-year-old Murmu will also become the first tribal woman to hold the office of the President of India.
Elections to choose the next President will be held on July 18, the counting on July 21. The new President will take oath on July 25, the Election Commission has said.
Murmu was also a contender for the post and was a forerunner in the build-up to the Presidential polls in 2017 but the BJP had given its nod to then Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, who happened to be a Dalit.
The first woman Governor of Jharkhand, Draupadi Murmu started her political career as a councilor.
A two-time BJP legislator from Odisha, Murmu was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet when the Biju Janata Dal or BJD ruled the state with the support of the BJP.
She also headed the BJP's Mayurbhanj district unit in Odisha and represented Rairangpur in the Odisha assembly.
Murmu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rama Devi Women's College, Bhubaneswar. Before she joined politics in 1997, she worked as an honorary assistant professor in the Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research, Rairangpur, and as a junior assistant in the irrigation department of Odisha.
Her political journey began in 1997 when she was elected councilor in the Rairangpur district in Odisha. The same year she went on to become the Vice-Chairperson of Rairangpur. Just three years later, she was elected from the same constituency of Rairangpur to the state assembly.
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Visually impaired man held at Bengaluru airport for smuggling gold worth Rs 3.44 cr
Bengaluru, Mar 8 (PTI): A visually impaired man was arrested at Kempegowda International Airport here for allegedly smuggling gold worth Rs 3.44 crore from Dubai, customs officials said on Saturday.
The identity of the suspect was not disclosed, but officials said the arrest was made on March 4.
The arrest comes a day after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested Kannada actress Ranya Rao at Bengaluru Airport in connection with gold smuggling. A total of 14.2 kg of gold valued at Rs 12.56 crore was recovered from her.
According to Customs officials, acting on specic intelligence, Bengaluru Air Customs officers intercepted the visually impaired passenger upon his arrival from Dubai.
ALSO READ: Kannada actress Ranya Rao admits to possession of 17 gold bars: DRI
"Upon inspection, 3,995.22 grams of gold worth Rs 3,44,38,796, concealed under his shirt, was seized, and a smuggling case was registered," Customs ocials said in a statement on 'X'.
04-03-2024: On Basis of specific intelligence, Bengaluru Air Customs officers intercepted a Passenger (visually impaired) arrived from Dubai. 3995.22 gms of gold worth Rs. 3,44,38,796/- concealed under his shirt was seized and a smuggling case was booked. #IndianCustomsAtWork pic.twitter.com/7rFbxZgSXI
— Bengaluru Customs (@blrcustoms) March 7, 2025
