In a historic election, professor Draupadi Murmu, 64, belonging to a marginalized ethnic group, was elected president of India this Thursday (21), after a vote in Parliament. She will be the second woman to hold the position, and the first from a tribe.
With the support of the BJP (Indian People’s Party, in Portuguese), legend of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the elected president won the votes of more than half of the deputies, according to partial results released by the Electoral Commission. At least 4,500 parliamentarians participated in the election.
Murmu belongs to the santal tribe, which has approximately 7.4 million members located mainly in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. After the results were announced, Modi congratulated the new president and said that her “exemplary success motivates every Indian”. “She has emerged as a ray of hope for our citizens, especially the poor, marginalized and oppressed.”
Born in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha state, Murmu taught before entering a political career. She has held ministerial positions in the state government and was governor of the state of Jharkhand. “As a tribal woman from the remote Mayurbhanj district, I had no thought of becoming a candidate [à Presidência]”, she said when making the candidacy official.
Murmu, however, was soon singled out as a favorite due to the strength of the BJP and its allies in both parliament and state assemblies. Her main opponent, opponent Yashwant Sinha, former Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs, admitted defeat and also congratulated the elected president. “THE India hopes that, as the 15th President of the Republic, it will guard the Constitution without fear,” he said.
Despite the symbolic weight, the post of president in India is largely ceremonial and analysts say the election is unlikely to make any difference to the Santal community, which has long lived on the fringes of society.
Murmu is expected to take office next Monday (25) for a term of five years. Before her, the first woman to hold the Presidency of India was Pratibha Patil, who ruled from 2007 to 2012.
