India elects a woman tribesman as head of state for the first time

For the first time, India will have a chief who belongs to an indigenous tribe. 64-year-old Drupadi Murmo, who is running on behalf of Prime Minister Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), emerged as the winner of the presidential election after three rounds.

Although votes are not yet counted in all states, according to Indian media, Mormo is so far ahead that earnings can no longer escape their notice. She will officially take over as president on July 25, next Monday. She is appointed to a five-year term and plays a largely ceremonial role as president. You have succeeded Ram Nath Kovind.

Mormo is the second woman to hold this position and the youngest ever president. She hails from the eastern state of Odisha and left her job as a political teacher. Until 2021, she was the governor of the northern state of Jharkhand, and was the first woman ever to hold this position.

The Murmu belonged to the Santhal, one of the seven hundred tribes of India. Of the 1.4 billion people, about 8 percent belong to a tribe. Prime Minister Modi welcomed her victory. “India is making history,” he wrote on Twitter. Supporters see Murmo’s election victory as a historic moment for the tribal members of India, who are marginalized both economically and culturally.

The general elections will be held in 2024. The high profile Mormo position is expected to bring votes to the BJP in the high tribal states.