Murmu seeks Oppn support, files papers OPPOSITION’S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SINHA GETS Z+ SECURITY
NEW DELHI: National Democratic Alliance’s presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu, accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday filed her nomination papers for the July 18 Presidential election soon after reaching out to key opposition leaders seeking their support for her candidature.
According to people aware of the matter, the former Jharkhand governor spoke to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee.
All the three leaders expressed their best wishes to her, the people cited above said, adding that Banerjee did not make any commitment to support Murmu.
The Opposition has fielded former union minister Yashwant Sinha as its candidate for the Presidential polls.
All the three leaders expressed their best wishes to her, the people cited above said
Prime Minister Modi handed over Murmu’s set of papers to returning officer P C Mody during the nomination process. She was accompanied by a host of Union ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and
Nitin Gadkari and BJP president J P Nadda.
Several chief ministers of BJP-ruled states including Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Manohar Lal Khattar, Jairam Thakur, Pushkar Singh Dhami and leaders of some NDA supporting parties like YSRCP, BJD and AIADMK were also present during Murmu’s nomination filing.
Nadda on Friday also reached out to various opposition leaders for supporting Murmu, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former prime minister and JDS leader H D Devegowda, while seeking to build a consensus on Murmu’s candidature.
If elected, Murmu will be the first tribal President of India and the country’s second female President. She is also the first presidential candidate from
NEW DELHI: The Centre has accorded ‘Z’ category security cover to the Opposition’s presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday.
About eight to ten of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos, rotated in three shifts, will guard Sinha as part of the security cover — the second highest given to any VVIP.
One of the officials mentioned above said Sinha was given CRPF security cover keeping in mind the threat perception for any presidential candidate.
Earlier this week, National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential candidate, Droupadi Murmu, was accorded ‘Z+’ category security — the highest accorded to VVIPs.
The presidential election would be held on July 18 to elect a successor to incumbent Ram Nath Kovind and the votes are scheduled to be counted on July 21. Kovind’s term will end on July 24.