Draupdi Murmu, the woman who could be India's next President

With the new president of India set to be elected next month, several names are doing the rounds including those of BJP veteran Najma Heptullah and Mahatma Gandhi's writer grandson Rajmohan Gandhi.

Many say Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided Jharkhand Governor and BJP leader Draupdi Murmu to be the party candidate. Very few people know about Murmu outside eastern states.

Here are 10 things to know about the woman who can be the next president of the country:

Murmu was sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand in May last year.

She is also the first tribal to become the governor of a state in India.

She comes from a Santhal tribal family in Uparbeda village in Kusumi block of Mayurbhanj district.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree. Before joining politics, she worked as a teacher and a government clerk.

She has been a two-time BJP MLA from Rairakhol in Mayurbhanj. She held several portfolios in the BJD-BJP coalition government between 2000 and 2004.

She was given the Nilakantha Award for the best MLA in 2007 by the Odisha Legislative Assembly.

She had lost her two sons and husband. She has one daughter who is married.

In an interview after she was appointed the Governor of Jharkhand, she said, "I was completely devastated. But God has given me the strength to continue to serve the people."

A soft-spoken Murmu has worked away from the media glare in the tribal wing of the BJP.

Her election is going to impact the BJP's prospects in the next Lok Sabha polls in several states with significant tribal population. Her native district, Mayurbhanj, lies on the borders of West Bengal as well as Jharkhand. She will impact tribal votes majorly in the three states while also improving the BJP prospects in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

Murmu as the BJP's choice for president can also hit the opposition unity. Many opposition parties may well have to support her candidature as they won't like to be seen opposing a tribal. Odisha's ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) might not be able to oppose a tribal candidate from its own state.

Murmu's election will improve the BJP's chances of winning the upcoming assembly polls in Odisha too.

The choice of a tribal as president will boost PM Narendra Modi's new strategy to focus on Dalit and tribal votes.

If Murmu is elected, she will be the second president from Odisha after VV Giri.

Text: Economictimes.com