Unlike the Prime Minister, the President of India does not have executive power, but is the guarantor of the Constitution and shows the face of the country, especially during ceremonies.
If elected, Draupadi Murmu will become India’s second female president and especially the first person from a tribal community, also often treated as a second-class citizen.
India’s two chambers of Parliament, as well as federal state lawmakers – thousands of deputies – will participate in the presidential election, the counting of which will take place on Thursday.
A professor who has been in politics for 25 years
Born in the impoverished state of Orissa (which became Odisha in 2011), Draupadi Murmu was a teacher before joining the BJP in 1997. He later became a minister and then governor of the state of Jharkhand. This background gave him broad support among MPs.
The BJP has selected Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor of West Bengal, for the post of Vice President. A passionate party fighter, also comes from a humble family.
Against Drupadi Murmu, the opposition voted for Yashwant Sinha, the former BJP foreign minister who became Narendra Modi’s fierce opponent. He called on lawmakers to protect the Constitution, which he said was threatened by Hindu nationalism, but his chances of winning were slim.
