President Droupadi Murmu revisited Room No. 11 at the Odisha Legislative Assembly, recalling her ministerial days and reconnecting with former colleagues
OdishaPlus Bureau
The Odisha Legislative Assembly’s Room No. 11, a modest chamber located on the ground floor, became the focal point on Thursday as it hosted a former occupant — the President of India.
On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the Odisha Assembly and also visited the room that had served as her office during her time as a minister in Odisha’s BJD-BJP coalition government in the early 2000s.
While speaking to the Assembly members, the President remarked that the location evoked fond memories. The small room, currently assigned to a senior Assembly official, has recently undergone renovations, featuring a new layer of lamination, updated tiles, furniture, and carpeting. The President engaged with at least six Assembly members who were her colleagues during her tenure as a legislator and minister.
“We discussed numerous issues from the past. She expressed her appreciation and mentioned that she learned a great deal from me,” stated senior BJD MLA Pramila Mallik, who met the President in Room No 11.
President Murmu also conversed with a member of the Assembly staff who had assisted her during her ministerial tenure.
Born into a Santhali tribal family on June 20, 1958, in Uperbeda village, situated in the remote region of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, President Murmu began her professional journey as a school teacher in a small town. She entered electoral politics by contesting the civic body elections in 1997.
In 2000, she was first elected to the Assembly, winning from the Rairangpur constituency on a BJP ticket. Subsequently, she joined the Council of Ministers under former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, where she was assigned the Commerce and Transport portfolios, and later, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development. She successfully retained her Assembly seat for a second term in 2004.
In 2007, Murmu was honored with the Pandit Nilkanth Das–Best Legislator Award by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
In her speech to the state Assembly on Thursday, the President stated that the behavior and language of public representatives ought to be exemplary, enabling their supporters and admirers to contribute positively to the development of society and the state.
