From a nondescript town in one of Odisha’s backward regions, Rairangpur overnight finds itself basking in the glow of the national spotlight. It will now forever be known as the home of Droupadi Murmu, who’s almost certain to be the next President of India.
The sleepy town woke up early on Wednesday to congratulate Ms. Murmu as she prepares to hold the highest Constitutional post next month. It was not dawn yet but people had started to queue up before her Mahuldiha house in Rairangpur. They came not just from Odisha but neighbouring Jharkhand and West Bengal as well.
“Many people had gone to bed early on Tuesday and missed the news of Ms. Murmu being nominated as the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) Presidential candidate. But phones kept ringing with some denizens enthusiastically sharing the news. In the morning, the message boxes were full,” Naveen Ram, a resident of Rairangpur, who has known Ms. Murmu for over two decades, said.
