Bhubaneswar, July 8 (FN Representative) NDA’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu was accorded a rousing welcome at the Biju Patnaik International airport on Friday on her visit to the state capital here for campaigning ahead of the Presidential poll, scheduled to be held on July 18. From the airport, she drove straight to the state Guest House and after a brief rest at the guest house, Murmu went to the state Assembly to meet the ruling BJD MLAs and MPs.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik received her at the Assembly from where she was escorted to the conference hall to meet the party MLAs and MPs. BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had already announced his party’s support for the candidature of Murmu. The BJD has a strength of 114 members in the 147 members State Assembly. Two BJD ministers had proposed her candidature during the filing of nomination for the presidential election. Patnaik has also called upon the Opposition Congress MLAs and Independent MLA to support the candidature of Murmu describing her as the daughter of Odisha.
The lone Independent MLA had already announced his support for Murmu’s candidature. After meeting the BJD ministers, MPs and MLAs at the state assembly Murmu returned to the state guest house where she was received by BJP state president Sameer Mohanty, senior party leaders, party MPs and MLAs. Murmu had a meeting with BJP parliament members and MLAs at the state guest house. She will have lunch with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Naveen Nivas in the afternoon on Friday where the two leaders are likely to discuss on various issues including the Presidential election.