New Delhi, June 22: The Centre has accorded a Z+ security cover of CRPF commandos to the NDA's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, officials said on Wednesday. The armed squad took over the security of Murmu, 64, early Wednesday morning, a senior officer told PTI.

BJP president J P Nadda announced the candidature of Murmu, a party leader from Odisha who served as Jharkhand governor, at a press conference on Monday night following a meeting of the party's parliamentary board, which included Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders. Presidential Elections 2022: Draupadi Murmu, Tribal Leader From Odisha, Named BJP-Led NDA Candidate for President.

Officials said soon after this announcement, the Union home ministry directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to deploy its VIP security protection team to take charge of Murmu's security.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)