A woman from a marginalized tribal community has been elected India’s new president after a vote in Parliament on Thursday.
Draupadi Murmu, 64, from the Santhal tribe, won the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and more than half of the parliamentary voters, according to partial results released by the Commission.
With 64.3% of the vote, an even higher percentage of already publicly declared support, the politician turned teacher will become India’s 15th president and the first president born in a tribal community.
Additionally, she will be the second woman to hold a largely ceremonial post as head of the republic – the first being Pratibha Patil, who was elected president in 2007.
Murmu will take office on July 25 for a five-year term. In total, more than 4.5 state and federal lawmakers voted in the presidential election last Monday, and the votes were counted today.
“His exemplary success motivates every Indian,” Modi added on Twitter, adding, “It has emerged as a beacon of hope for our citizens, especially the poor, marginalized and oppressed.”
Background – The former governor of Jarkhand state, during his career, had to move as a child to a boarding school in his home state capital, Bubaneshwar, to study.
When elected to the county council in 1997 before entering politics, Murnu worked in government office, was a teacher and social worker.
His immense popularity also stems from the tragedies that marked his last life: Draupadi, who was married to a banker between 2009 and 2015 and has three children, was widowed and soon lost two of his children.
Her determination in the face of adversity has fostered empathy among Indians, particularly through the techniques of Brahma Kumaris, a meditation movement to which she is affiliated. Opponents criticized his candidacy.
source: Noticias
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