The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will support Draupadi Murmu, the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate, in the Presidential elections slated to be held in July this year, announced party chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday.
"Appeal all the members of Odisha Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, to extend unanimous support to elect the daughter of Odisha - Smt Draupadi Murmu to the country’s highest office," Patnaik said in a tweet.
This comes a day after Patnaik welcomed the BJP's decision to appoint Murmu as the Presidential candidate of the NDA. Congratulating the former Jharkhand Governor, Patnaik said Murmu "will set a shining example for women empowerment in the country".
"Congratulations Smt Draupadi Murmu on being announced as candidate of NDA for the country’s highest office. I was delighted when Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji discussed this with me. It is indeed a proud moment for people of Odisha," he tweeted on Tuesday.
The 64-year-old Murmu hails from Odisha where she was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet in the BJP-BJD government. Murmu - who is set to win the Presidential polls, thanks to the BJP's majority in the Parliament, will only be the second woman President of India after Pratibha Patil.
The BJD has 114 MLAs in the 147-member Odisha legislative assembly. Meanwhile, the BJP has 22 lawmakers followed by nine of the Congress and one of the CPI(M). There is an Independent member as well.
Draupadi Murmu to file nomination on June 24
Murmu will file her nomination for the Presidential elections on June 24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers, Chief Ministers of many states, and several leaders of the BJD will likely join her during the nomination-filing as a show of support.
Murmu gets Z+ category security
Earlier in the day, she was also provided round-the-clock 'Z+' category armed security cover by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The CRPF has provided the security to Murmu from Wednesday morning following orders received from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday evening, news agency ANI quoted an official as saying.