Droupadi Murmu, the NDA’s presidential candidate, traveled to Jharkhand on Monday to solicit support from the state’s BJP MPs, parliamentarians, and the governing Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, a tribal party.
Along with the NDA MLAs and MPs in the state, she also met JMM President Shibu Soren, its Executive President, and Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
The JMM will make its choice this week, according to a party spokeswoman, about whether to endorse Ms. Murmu or Yashwant Sinha, the candidate of the opposition parties, in the presidential election on July 18.
The CM welcomed Ms. Murmu, the state’s former governor, warmly upon her visit. Along with BJP state president Deepak Prakash, she was joined by union ministers Arjun Munda, Annapurna Devi, and Arjun Meghwal.
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“She (Murmu) is given a hearty welcome as soon as she arrives in Bhagwan Birsa’s sacred territory. Many congratulations from our end to revered Droupadi Ji “Tweeted Mr. Soren’s statement.
Ms. Murmu and Mr. Soren are both tribal chiefs and members of the Santhal ethnic group, which has a sizable presence in both Jharkhand and Odisha, where she is originally from.
Earlier, Ms. Murmu had contacted Mr. Soren to ask for JMM’s support for the elections.
Lobin Hembrom, a senior JMM official, said that Mr. Soren had been permitted by the party to speak with the Center and make the “right choice” on supporting the presidential candidate.
Soren met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Hembrom remarked, “We will announce our decision very soon.”
On June 27, Mr. Soren met with Shah and other NDA officials in Delhi, and it is said that he informed them that the party would soon decide who to support in the upcoming presidential elections.
The opposition’s joint candidate Mr. Sinha, a native of Jharkhand, or Ms. Murmu, were the subjects of heated curiosity throughout the sessions.
In response to Ms. Murmu’s meeting with Hemant Soren and his father, state Congress chairman Rajesh Thakur said that it would be unwise for the JMM to support the UPA candidate in the next presidential elections.
However, Mr. Thakur said that everyone is free to make their own decisions since the alliance in the state was formed only to run in elections and not for any other reason, including to participate in the presidential election.
Earlier, Ms. Murmu met in-depth with several BJP officials, including Deepak Prakash (RS MP), Raghubar Das, the national vice-president, and government ministers Arjun Munda and Annapurna Devi.
According to BJP officials, Ms. Murmu remembered how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had confidence in her.
The leaders of the saffron party further said that when Ms. Murmu expressed concern about her capacity to carry out the duties, the PM assured her that the constitution would direct her and point her in the proper direction.
The leaders reported Ms. Murmu as adding that the PM reassured her that the whole nation was behind her and that she would be able to carry out the duties in the same way as she did with the position of Governor of Jharkhand.
Following the conclusion of the last day for withdrawal of nominations on Saturday, Ms. Murmu and Mr. Sinha are the only two candidates still standing in the contest for the presidency.
Several regional parties, including the BJD, BSP, and SAD, have offered Ms. Murmu their support. She is projected to win the polls easily, and the odds are in her favor.
