Tribal politician is India's new president

Thursday, 21 July 2022 18:47

By ARN News Staff

A female politician from a tribal community is India's new president.

Droupadi Murmu, 64, has made history after being elected the country's first tribal head of state.

Her rival candidate Yashwant Sinha has conceded defeat.

She will be the second woman to hold the largely ceremonial role when she takes office on July 25 at the start of a five-year term.

More than 4,500 state and federal lawmakers voted in the presidential election on Monday and ballots were counted on Thursday.

Murmu's victory was assured as she was backed by Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which dominates federal and state politics.

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