Jansatta Dal Loktantrik (JDL), led by Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias ‘Raja Bhaiya’, has extended support to NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, who will be the first tribal woman to hold the position if she wins.
“In today’s condition, selecting Draupadi Murmu as a candidate for President is very important. This is why political parties other than BJP are also supporting her. Both our MLAs will support her,” JDL founder Raja Bhaiya told ANI.
On Friday, Raja Bhaiya along with Samajwadi Party (SP) ally Om Prakash Rajbhar and Akhilesh’s Yadav estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav attended a dinner hosted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in honour of Murmu in Lucknow.
Rajbhar’s party has six MLAs in the UP assembly. He had fought the recent Uttar Pradesh assembly polls as a partner of the SP-led opposition grouping.
Raja Bhaiya’s newly formed JDL party had clinched two seats in its maiden election in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections held earlier this year.
Murmu, who arrived in Lucknow to ramp up support for herself for the July 18 elections, was earlier accorded a warm welcome at Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport in Amausi here by senior BJP leaders.
“A woman born in a tribal society has come to you to seek your support. Despite odds, I got higher education on the strength of my strong willpower. I have worked lifelong for the deprived sections and tribal society. I am sure that I will get the support of all of you,” she said, according to a BJP release.
