Droupadi Murmu becomes India’s first president from tribal community

Asia-Pacific, News July 22, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

More than 4500 state and federal lawmakers from India voted on July 21 to choose the country’s first president from the tribal communities.

The 64-years old school teacher turned politician, Droupadi Murmu, was nominated as a presidential candidate by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Murmu secured 64.03% of the total votes against the joint opposition’s candidate Yashwant Sinha, a former BJP member and Modi’s finance minister who is now a fierce critic of his policies.

Murmu is set to assume the presidential office on July 25 as India’s 15th president. She would replace the current Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Murmu would be the second woman and first ever person from the tribal community to take the presidential office in India. Her victory was assured as she was backed by the BJP, the ruling party with a substantial majority in federal as well as several state governments.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated her on Twitter by stating that “a daughter of India hailing from a tribal community born in a remote part of eastern India has been elected our President!”

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Droupadi Murmu after she was elected as the country's first president from the tribal community — ^{India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Droupadi Murmu after she was elected as the country’s first president from the tribal community, in New Delhi, India on July 21, 2022. (Image Credit: India’s Press Information Bureau/via Reuters)}

India’s ruling party BJP is largely a Hindu nationalist political party and it is often criticized for not having a representation from significantly large religious and ethnic minority groups in India. Murmu’s nomination as the president of India is the BJP’s attempt to strengthen its outreach towards the tribal minorities, also known as the Adivasi, of India who makes up for 8% of the country’s 1.4 billion population.

Murmu belongs to the Santhal tribe from the East Indian state of Odisha. She started her career as a school teacher in her hometown and entered mainstream politics in 1997 by joining BJP. She was elected as a lawmaker in the state of Odisha and held various positions in the state cabinet. Before running for the presidential seat, Murmu was serving as governor of the state of Jharkhand in eastern India.

The president in India also serves as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Force, however, the role of the president in India’s lawmaking is largely ceremonial as the president does not have any real authority over the government’s decision-making.

Despite having a minor role in lawmaking and government affairs, the president’s office plays a significant role in the country’s general elections. President has the authority to declare the elections inconclusive. India’s ruling party BJP is currently preparing to enter into the general elections of 2024 by mending its image among the minority groups in India.