Murmu arrives in home state to campaign for Prez poll

Bhubaneswar, July 8(Reporters Today Bureau): NDA’s Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu arrived in Odisha on Friday to garner support for the election scheduled on July 18.

Murmu, the daughter of the soil was accorded a warm welcome at Bhubaneswar airport before she was escorted to State Guest House.

The Odisha Government has accorded her State Guest status and made elaborate arrangements.

She met legislators and parliamentarians of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and held discussions on President’s election with BJD and BJP leaders.

The BJP has also planned a special meeting with her.

Murmu also has a 30-minute meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Nivas.

During the meeting with BJD MLAs, Murmu recalled her association with the Chief Minister and other MLAs. She said she had tied a Rakhi on the Chief Ministers hand earlier.

“The Chief Minister spoke to me from abroad soon after hearing about my candidature. I have worked in the State as a minister and has done some work. But more is to be done and I solicit your support,” she said.

Notably, soon after being named as Presidential candidate by NDA, the Centre provided her Z+ category security cover by armed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The ruling BJD was the first political party in the country to extend support to her candidature. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who was on foreign tour when her name was proposed by the NDA, directed all Biju Janata Dal members in the Assembly and Parliament to vote for Murmu. Patnaik has also spoken to legislators of other political parties to support the daughter of the soil. Patnaik personally called Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra to solicit support for Droupadi Murmu and deputed Party Organisation Secretary Pranab Prakash Das to meet Mishra. However, Mishra has been non-committal over his support as Congress has decided to support Opposition candidate Yashowant Sinha.

Murmu has been a member of the State Assembly and colleague of Patnaik in the council of Ministers.

The BJD has also approached Independent MLA from Rayagada and lone CPM legislator Laxman Munda in the State Assembly.