Puri: A day ahead of the presidential election, BJP leaders in Odisha on Sunday offered prayers at different temples in the state NDA Presidential nominee, Droupadi Murmu’s election to the top constitutional office.
BJP Bhubaneswar unit leaders led by state party president Samir Mohanty lightened lamps at Lingaraja Temple and performed yagna at Bibhisaneswara Temple for Murmu.
Similarly, Puri MLA Jayant Sarangi along with party workers lightened earthen lamps and offered prayers at Jagannath Temple in Puri. “She has the blessings of Lord Jagannath. It is a proud moment for us and all the citizens of Odisha that a female candidate is going to be elected as the first citizen of India,” said senior BJP leader Bishnu Sethi.
Mantras and shlokas were also recited at Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur and Sarala Temple in Jagatsinghpur. In Rourkela, Saffron party workers offered prayers at Sector-3 Maa Mangala temple. In Bargarh’s Bhatli, BJP workers lightened lamps at Dadhibaman swami and Kushanpuri Jagannath temples.
The election is slated for July 18 and Murmu is pitted against joint opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha. The odds are stacked against Sinha as the BJP-led NDA has about 49 per cent of the total vote and needs only one per cent to get its candidate elected. With the support of the BJD, YSR Congress or AIADMK, it can reach this mark and get Murmu elected as the 15th President.
Meanwhile, BJD Chief Whip Prashant Muduli has announced that all the party leaders will support Murmu for the post of President.
On Saturday, Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had once again asked his party MPs to extend support to the ‘daughter of Odisha’. “It is indeed a matter of honour and pride for our state. On behalf of the people of Odisha and BJD, we need to extend our full support to her candidature in the presidential election to be held on July 18,” he said while addressing the BJD MPs virtually ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament.
According to a PTI tally, the former Jharkhand governor now has over 6.67 lakh of 10,86,431 votes in the Presidential polls. The BJD will bring in additional 32,000 votes. In terms of numbers, Murmu has the tally in her favour, thanks to AIADMK (17,200 votes), the YSRCP (about 44,000), Telugu Desam Party (around 6,500), Shiv Sena (25,000 votes) and the Janata Dal (Secular) (around 5,600 votes).
