Droupadi Murmu files nomination; calls Sonia, Mamata, Pawar for support

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, June 24

NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu on Friday filed her nomination papers for the July 18 presidential election.

She was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP top brass to the office of Rajya Sabha Secretary-General, the returning officer for the poll.

Murmu, 64, the first tribal candidate to be nominated for election to the highest post of the country, called Congress president Sonia Gandhi, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar before filing her papers here.

Sources said she had a good conversation with the top opposition leaders.

Murmu’s nomination papers had four sets of proposers and seconders.

PM Modi was the first proposer in a set seconded by Parliament board members of the BJP.

The second set was proposed by BJP chief JP Nadda and signed by chief ministers and deputy CMs of all BJP-ruled states.

Himachal and Haryana MLAs and MPs of the BJP signed the third set and the fourth was signed by Gujarat BJP MPs and MLAs.

Murmu earlier arrived at Parliament House to a warm welcome.

She was accompanied by Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Shekhawat, the convenor of the committee the BJP had set up to plan the campaign and nomination of Murmu.