Bhubaneswar: Odisha-born Draupadi Murmu, the presidential candidate of Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA, filed her nomination papers in the Parliament in New Delhi today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President JP Nadda attended the event as the first and second proposers, respectively. Several Union Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers of BJP and NDA-ruled states were also present.

Two Odisha Cabinet Ministers- ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Class Welfare Department Minister Jagannath Saraka and Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu joined the event as proposers. They had signed the nomination papers earlier yesterday. Eight BJP MLAs from the state were also present during the nomination.

Also Read: 2 Odisha Ministers to sign nomination papers of Draupadi Murmu: CM Naveen

If elected, Murmu, a former Odisha Minister, will be India's first President from tribal community and second woman President since Independence. Also, she will be the second president from Odisha.

The 65-year-old has also served as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021.

In 2017, Odisha Assembly had conferred her with 'Nilakantha Award' for best MLA. Murmu also served as the Vice-President of BJP's state ST Morcha in 1997 and held different organisational posts in the saffron party.

The presidential election is scheduled to be held on July 18 while the counting will take place on July 21.