NEW DELHI: Janata Dal leader Nitish Kumar has extended support to NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu for the Presidential elections. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also requested his party members to vote for Murmu. With this, there is increasing support for Draupadi Murmu even from the Opposition. It is also reported that Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will also declare their support for Murmu. Earlier, the JMM had expressed support for the opposition candidate.

Naveen Patnaik tweeted appreciation to Draupadi Murmu. Nitish Kumar said he was happy that a woman from the Scheduled Tribes has been nominated as the candidate. Apart from the JDU, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti party also expressed support for Murmu. UPA's ally JMA national spokesperson Manoj Pandey also welcomed Murmu's candidature.

The BJP had demanded that the opposition to withdraw its candidate as a tribal candidate becomes the first presidential candidate. However, Yashwant Sinha has stated that he will not back down from the elections and that it is not a personal contest with Draupadi Murmu. Sinha said he would directly seek the support of various parties in the states.