Who Is Draupadi Murmu?
In the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha’s Baidaposi village, Draupadi Murmu was born on June 20, 1958. Since the state’s creation in 2000, she is the only governor to serve a full five-year term (2015–2021). From 2002 to 2009, Murmu served as the BJP’s district president for the Mayurbhanja district. She began her profession as a teacher before transitioning into politics in Odisha in 1997.
In a February 2020 interview, the politician opened up about her political journey. “I come from the poorest of the poor families and never expected I will take up politics. I had plans to study and get a regular job to support my family financially. However, there have been several incidents in my life that led to me quitting my job,” Murmu told the host of the show Ek Mulakat.
Draupadi Murmu has devoted her life to helping the poor and the oppressed from a young age.
Draupadi Murmu overcame obstacles and cultural stigmas in order to serve the public, dispelling misconceptions about a career in politics. Many people were inspired by her work with the socioeconomically deprived individuals and convinced her to pursue social work full-time, which eventually led to her becoming an MLA and then a minister.
“I come from a society that is very rigid when it comes to perceptions about women and they would raise questions on any woman stepping outside the confines of their homes. They, generally, perceive politics as a dirty business,” she had said.
Grief, Trauma, Depression
Draupadi Murmu lost her 25-year-old son in 2009. “After my kid passed away, I was inconsolable, depressed, and had insomnia. I went to see the Brahma Kumaris at this time. I realized I had to move on and live for my two sons and daughter,” Murmu had remarked admitting that she was always inclined to spirituality.
Murmu’s second son passed away in 2013, just as she was beginning to heal from the loss. It was yet another shock to her, the social worker-turned-politician claimed. Murmu looked for comfort in spirituality.
Murmu’s mother and brother passed away in the same month after she lost her second son. Murmu continued her work toward social transformation despite her subsequent losses. In 2014, she lost her husband as well. Later, she encouraged her daughter to take the spiritual route.
The 64-year-old, Draupadi Murmu, is likely to create history as the second woman President of India.
She was personally endorsed by the Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi through a tweet where he said, the former Jharkhand governor has devoted her life to serving society and expressed confidence that she will be a “great President”.
The election for the next President of India will be held on July 18. The counting of votes will take place on July 21 and the new president will take oath on July 25.
Notification for the presidential election will be issued on June 15 and the last day of filing a nomination will be June 29. The papers will be scrutinized on June 30. The last day to withdraw the nomination papers will be July 2.
How India Elects Its President?
According to Article 55 of the Constitution, the President of India is elected by members of the Electoral College consisting of elected Members of Parliament and of all the state assemblies including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry. It follows the system of proportional representation utilizing a single transferable vote system and secret ballots.
To be eligible for the election, the person: must be a citizen of India; have completed the age of 35 years; and is qualified for election as a member of the House of the People (Article 58).
The process starts with the nomination. The Presidential candidate should get his nomination paper subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and at least 50 electors as seconders. The candidate is required to deposit security, which is ₹15,000. It is supposed to be made along with the nomination paper.
