NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu meets MLAs and MPs in Chhattisgarh

Murmu offered garland to the statue of Rani Durgavati

 

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R The National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu arrived in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Friday morning to meet MPs and MLAs in the Congress-ruled state as part of her poll campaign.

Murmu, who arrived in a special aircraft around 9.50 am, was accorded a grand welcome by a large number of BJP leaders and workers at the Swami Vivekananda Airport here.

State BJP chief Visnu Deo Sai, former chief minister Raman Singh, leader of opposition in the state assembly Dharam Lal Kaushik were among those who received her at the airport.

From the airport, Murmu directly went to Canal Linking Road, where she offered garland to the statue of Rani Durgavati, a BJP leader here said.

After that, she went to a hotel in Jail Road here where she met the MLAs and MPs, he added.

Murmu, a former Governor of Jharkhand, interacted with BJP MLAs and MPs and legislators from Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) - two other opposition parties in the state assembly, he said, adding that her meeting with other intellectuals and other dignitaries is underway.

In the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly, the Congress has 71 MLAs, BJP 14, while JCC (J) and BSP have three and two members, respectively.       

Of the 11 Lok Sabha MPs from the state, nine are from the BJP, while two belong to the ruling Congress. The Congress has four Rajya Sabha members and BJP one from the state.

BJP's senior tribal leader Nand Kumar Sai had said Pratibha Patil was the first woman president of India, while Murmu would become the first woman from the Scheduled Tribes community to hold the highest constitutional post.

He had appealed to the lawmakers of the tribal-dominated state to support Murmu's candidature. Tribals account for 32 per cent of Chhattisgarh's population and the opposition BJP which suffered a massive defeat in the last assembly elections here, is eyeing to woo tribals, who play a significant role in elections, through Murmu's candidature.

Murmu is later scheduled to visit neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. PTI TKP  NP    NP 07151317