Draupadi Murmu is an Indian politician who is known for being the candidate selected by the BJP for the 2022 Indian Presidential Election.
Wiki/Biography
Draupadi Murmu was born on Friday, 20 June 1958 (age 64 years; as of 2022) in Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Her zodiac sign is Gemini. Her hometown is Baldaposi village, Mayurbhanj, Odisha. She attended the K.B. HS Uparbeda School, Mayurbhanj. She pursued a bachelor of arts degree at Rama Devi Women’s College, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Draupadi’s father’s name is Biranchi Narayan Tudu, who was a farmer. Her father and grandfather were the headmen of the village. She has two brothers, Bhagat Tudu and Sarani Tudu.
Husband & Children
Draupadi was married to Shyam Charan Murmu, a bank officer who died in 2014. She had two sons, one of whose name was Laxman Murmu, who died in 2013. She lost her other son in 2009. In an interview, she said that when she lost her sons, she suffered from depression. She further added,
I have witnessed many ups and downs in life. I have lost my two sons and my husband. I was completely devastated. But God has given me the strength to continue to serve the people.”
Draupadi Murmu’s children when they were young
She has one daughter, Itishri Murmu, who is a bank worker.
Draupadi Murmu with her daughter
Religion
Draupadi follows Hinduism.
Caste
Draupadi belongs to the scheduled tribe.
Ethnicity
She belongs to the Santhal tribe.
Address
She resides in village Baldaposi, P.O.-Rairangpur, W.No.-2 District, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.
Signature
Draupadi Murmu’s signature
Politics
- Draupadi began her political career in 1997 when she became the councillor of the Rairangpur district of Odisha. In the same year, she also served as the Vice- Chairperson of Rairangpur.
- In 2004, she won the assembly elections from the Rairangpur constituency after which she was elected as the Minister of BJP. In 2000, she started working in the transport, commerce, fisheries and animal husbandry department and worked there till 2004.
- In 2004, she again won the assembly elections and was elected as the MLA of BJP from the Rairangpur constituency.
- In 2006, she was elected as the District President of BJP in Mayurbhanj and State President of BJP Scheduled Tribe Morcha. She served the post from 2006 to 2009.
- In May 2015, she was elected as the ninth Governor of Jharkhand and served as the governor till 2021.
- In 2022, the BJP selected her as a candidate for the 2022 Indian Presidential Elections.
Teacher
Draupadi worked as an assistant professor at Shri Aurobindo Integral Education and Research Centre, Rairangpur before she joined politics. In 1979, she started working as a junior assistant at the irrigation department of Odisha and worked there till 1983.
Award
In 2007, she received the Nilkantha award for best MLA by Odisha Legislative Assembly.
Assets/Properties
Movable Assets
- Cash: Rs. 1,80,000
- Deposits in Banks, Financial Institutions and Non-Banking Financial Companies: Rs. 5,05,000
- LIC or other insurance Policies: Rs. 1,30,000
- Jewellery: Rs. 2,60,000
Gross Total Value: Rs. 1,075,000
Net Worth
Draupadi’s net worth as of 2009 was Rs. 6,10,000.
Facts/Trivia
- Her hobbies include reading and knitting.
- In 1983, she left her government job to take care of her children.
- She was the first governor of Jharkhand to serve a five-year term.
- In 2016, she met Pratyusha Banerjee‘s parents in relation to the suicide case of their daughter.
- In 2016, she said that after she died, her eyes would be donated to the Kashyap Memorial Eye Hospital in Ranchi.
- In an interview, she said that after she started following Brahmakumari Nirmala, she was able to fight the depression she suffered after her sons’ and husband’s death. In 2018, Brahmakumari Nirmala tied a rakhi to Draupadi.
Brahmakumari Nirmala tyiing rakhi to Draupadi Murmu
- In 2021, she did a video conference with many universities to discuss their academic and administrative functions.
Draupadi Murmu reviewing academic and administrative functions on video conferencing
- In 2022, she became the first tribal to be nominated as a candidate by the BJP for the 2022 Indian Presidential Elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to congratulate her and wrote,
Millions of people, especially those who have experienced poverty and faced hardships, derive great strength from the life of Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. Her understanding of policy matters and compassionate nature will greatly benefit our country.”
- In an interview, she expressed her feelings after getting selected as a candidate for the 2022 Indian Presidential Elections, and said,
I am surprised as well as delighted. As a tribal woman from remote Mayurbhanj district, I had not thought about becoming the candidate for the top post.”
- In 2017, she was elected for the 2017 Indian Presidential Elections from Jharkhand, but she did not win the elections.
- In 2022, she was provided Z category security after her selection for the Presidential elections. After the selection, a video of her sweeping the floor at Shiv temple in Rairangpur was shown on many new channels.
- In an interview, her party members said that she always took a stand for tribal rights. In an interview, the party members commented about her and said,
Her candidature is perfect, and she has always raised issues of the people. During her governorship, she often summoned the DGP or other senior officials whenever there were reports of atrocities on tribals or women.”
- Her ancestral house is in Upbeda, where she kept all her awards and recognitions.
Draupadi Murmu’s ancestral house
- According to her, she changed her in-laws’ house into a trust and donated it to a school. The name of the trust is ‘SLS,’ which was kept after her husband and sons’ names. This trust covers an area of more than four acres.
Memorial of Draupadi Murmu’s husband and sons
