BJD leaders sign nomination papers of NDA's presidential candidate

Bhubaneswar: Two leaders of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have signed the nomination papers of presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu on Thursday.

As per the information, the leaders Jagannath Saraka and Tukini Sahu arrived in the national capital today to sign the papers. The leaders are also scheduled to be present tomorrow with the Presidential candidate at the time of her filing the nomination.

Jagannath Saraka is a senior tribal leader from Sadan Part of Odisha and a long-standing Minister in Patnaik's Cabinet, whereas Tukini Sahu is a senior women leader and minister representing the Western Odisha, said sources.

As per the party sources, "Naveen Patnaik has picked a tribal and a women leader from BJD for the nomination of Draupadi Murmu".

Earlier in the day, the national president of Bharatiya Janata Party JP Nadda spoke with Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik about the filing of nomination of Droupadi Murmu.

"BJP President Shri @JPNadda Ji (JP Nadda) spoke to me about the filing of nomination of Smt #DraupadiMurmu Ji for PresidentElection. My cabinet colleagues Shri @saraka_fan (Jagannath Saraka) and Smt @TukuniSahu (Tukuni Sahu) will sign nomination papers today and attend the event tomorrow," Patnaik tweeted.

On Wednesday, he appealed to the members of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, to extend their unanimous support to elect the "daughter of Odisha"-- Droupadi Murmu to the country's highest office.

Notably, the presidential elections are slated to be held on July 18 and their counting will take place on July 21.

Droupadi Murmu is all set to become the next president of India and if that comes through she will be India's first woman tribal President And the second woman president of India since its independence. (ANI)