Bhubaneswar: For Odisha, the highlight of the tumultuous year gone by was when the “daughter of the soil” Dropupadi Murmu became the first tribal president of the country.
The state celebrated Murmu’s rise from the remote Rairangpur town to the seat of power in Raisina Hills last July with great fanfare and pride. She also created a record by becoming the youngest president of the country at age 64, and the first president to be born in independent India.
Patnaik and President Share a strong BOND and work for the state
In the state, the ruling BJD held fast to its grip with the Naveen Patnaik-led party demolishing the opposition BJP and Congress in the panchayat polls and civic body elections. BJD won 80 per cent of local bodies in rural and urban areas.
