New Delhi (dpa) – Indian parliamentarians have elected a new president. The results are expected on Thursday. Like the German Federal President, the Indian head of state mainly fulfills representative missions. Power rests with the prime minister of the world’s largest democracy, with a population of over 1.3 billion.
The roughly 5,000 members of the state and state legislatures were able to vote Monday at the respective state legislature buildings. These will now be counted in the capital New Delhi on Thursday. The president is elected every five years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling BJP party had sent 64-year-old Draupadi Murmu into the race. Indian media predict him the best chance of winning. The 64-year-old is an indigenous woman, former teacher and former governor of Jharkhand state. As governor, she campaigned for the rights of India’s indigenous peoples. If she wins, she would be the first indigenous woman in India to hold the presidency. Indigenous peoples are often poor and marginalized in India.
The current president, Ram Nath Kovind, is a Dalit, a member of the lowest caste system who was previously considered “untouchable”. The situation of the Dalits changed little during his presidency. Dalits continue to face many forms of discrimination.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220720-99-97922/2
