India: Droupadi Murmu elected India’s first tribal president

NEW DELHI, 22 July 2022, (TON): Lawmakers chose India’s first president from the country’s tribal communities which could boost the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party among marginalised groups ahead of the 2024 general election.

Droupadi Murmu, a 64-year-old teacher turned politician, will be the second woman to hold the largely ceremonial role as head of the republic when she takes office on July 25 at the start of a five-year term.

More than 4,500 state and federal lawmakers voted in the presidential election and ballots were counted.

Murmu’s victory was assured as she was backed by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which dominates federal and state politics.

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