NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu has been accorder with ‘Z plus’ security cover of CRPF commandos by the Centre on Wednesday, said officials.

Z plus security cover is the second highest level of security protection provided by the central government.

The BJP-led NDA announced Draupadi Murmu as its presidential candidate on Tuesday.

Centre on Wednesday accorded 'Z plus' security cover of CRPF commandos to NDA presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu, officials said.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha was selected as the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections.

Born in the Santhal community, Draupadi Murmu began her political career as a councillor in Rairangpur Nagar Panchayat in 1997 and rose through the ranks to become a minister in the Odisha government in 2000 and later the Governor of Jharkhand in 2015.

A two-term former MLA from Rairangpur, Draupadi Murmu held on to her assembly seat in 2009 when the BJD had snapped ties with the BJP weeks ahead of the state elections which were swept by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Murmu also holds the distinction of becoming the first woman Governor of Jharkhand.