The head of state has most of the representative duties in India. The acting President is Ram Nath Kovind of the Dalit caste, the lowest caste in the Hindu caste system.
Murmu, 64, began his career as a teacher in the eastern state of Odisha before entering politics. Most recently he was governor of the neighboring state of Jharkhand. He belongs to the marginalized Santhal ethnic group.
Its biggest competitor is former BJP politician and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha. He is now a vocal critic of the Modi government and has the support of the opposition. “This year’s presidential election is not a competition between two people, but two ideologies,” Sinha wrote on Twitter last weekend.
The president of India is elected by about 5,000 members from the two chambers of parliament and the regional parliament. Election results are expected to be announced later this week.
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