Droupadi Murmu, female tribal leader from Odisha, is BJP-led NDA candidate for President

New Delhi: The BJP parliamentary board on Tuesday named Droupadi Murmu, a tribal leader of the party from Odisha, as the ruling NDA's candidate for the presidential election.

BJP president J P Nadda announced her name at a press conference following a meeting of the party top brass.

Murmu (64), a former Jharkhand governor, will be the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post if she is elected, a strong possibility as numbers are stacked in favour of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Opposition had earlier in the day announced former Union minister Yashwant Sinha as its joint candidate for the post. The poll is slated for July 18.