Draupadi Murmu arrives in Lucknow to a warm welcome

Lucknow: Draupadi Murmu, the presidential candidate of National Democratic Alliance (NDA), arrived in Lucknow on Friday evening to a warm welcome, officials said.

Mumru was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Maurya, Brajesh Pathak and other senior ministers at the airport where the BJP workers played 'dhol' to mark her arrival.

Apna Dal minister Ashish Patel and Nishad Party minister Sanjay Nishad were also present at the airport to welcome the NDA presidential candidate.

Later on Friday, Mumru is scheduled to meet the MPs and the MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies at Lok Bhawan and seek their votes for the upcoming Presidential election on July 18.

Leaders of all constituents of NDA would accompany Murmu to Lok Bhawan.

The BJP, according to sources, is now hopeful of getting some opposition votes after the increasing division in opposition ranks.

On Thursday, when the joint opposition Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha visited Lucknow and met opposition MLAs and MPs, some key leaders of the Samajwadi-led alliance were missing.

These include Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party leader Om Prakash Rajbhar along with his MLAs, Shivpal Yadav and some other Samajwadi Party MLAs.