SHIMLA: Draupadi Murmu, 64, is first tribal woman who has been elected as President of India. She will take over the baton from outgoing President Dr Ramnath Kovind and will take oath of the highest office on July 25 as the 15th President of India.
Drapaudi Murmu was the BJP-led NDA’s candidate, who won against the Opposition candidate, Yashwant Sinha.
Draupadi Murmu represents not only aspirations of tribal women of the country, but also of the entire women of the remote Himalayan region and other regions of India. 
Reacting to her victory soon after the Secretary- General of Rajya Sabha PC Mody declared her the winner, Draupadi Murmu said she is “elated by all of support from my all political colleagues, ministers, MPs and MLAs from all over India for choosing me to serve as the 15th President of world’s the largest democracy, Mother India”.
She said, “I am grateful to my Orian brothers and sisters who have been supporting me from the beginning”. “Lots of love to them. I pray that the Lord Mahaprabhu Jagannath take away your all sorrows, 'bads' and shower blessings and good luck upon you”.
Congratulating Draupadi Murmu for her victory to the highest office of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “India scripts history at a time when 1.3 billion Indians are celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The daughter of India hailing from a tribal community and born in a remote part of eastern India, has been elected our president”.
Prime Minister said, “Draupadi Murmu’s life early struggles, rich service and her exemplary success, motivates each and every Indian”.
She is emerged as a ray of hope for citizens especially poor, marginalised and downtrodden.
He said that Draupadi Murmu has been outstanding MLA and Minister. She had an excellent tenure as Jharkhand Governor for six years. I am certain she will be an outstanding President who will lead from the front and strengthen India’s development journey”.
Talking about her journey from the grassroots Draupadi Murmu started her career as a teacher in a Rairangpur Orissa. Later She joined the state irrigation department as junior assistant.
She contested the civic election in 1997 and became a counsellor in Rairangpur Nagar panchayat. Three years later she contested assembly election from Rairangpur and won.
She served 2 terms as an MLA from the constituency. She was also awarded the Neelkanth award for best legislator by the Odissi legislative assembly in 2007 from amongst 147 legislators.
She has been a minister and her tenure was development- oriented and corruption-free, wrote BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda in his reflection on Draupadi Murmu’s journey in a newspaper.
In 2015 she was sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. She was first tribal woman leader from Odisha to be appointed as governor of any state.
She served for 6 years and made Raj bhavan as a vibrant centre for public aspiration and she worked with close coordination with the state government.
Draupadi Murmu lost her husband and children. She faced traumatic life full of struggles and came out of it boldly, taking life as a challenge to serve the people of the country.
As soon as news of the President-elect travel to tribal belt of Odisha, scores of tribal social media groups flashed pictures of tribals mainly women who are struggling for a better life in their remote habitat.
Electricity board of Odisha was proactive and made it a point to install electricity in the native village of President-elect Draupadi Murmu in Odisha early this month.
