Is Draupadi Murmu Modi's surprise pick as the next President of India?

Narendra Modi always likes to surprise all and he may just pick Draupadi Murmu as the candidate for the next President of India. Murmu aged 59 is a tribal from Odisha and with the BJP aiming to capture the state, this pick makes sense for the party.

BJP sources tell OneIndia that this could be the surprise pick. Her name has been discussed several times by the top brass of the party, the source also added.

Currently the Governor of Jharkhand, Murmu has had an impressive political and social career spanning almost two decades. No tribal has been elected the President.

Her career began in 1997 when she was appointed as a councillor. She was then electrd to the Odisha assembly, which once hailed her as the best MLA of the year. Murmu has actively pursued social causes and played a pivotal role in community uplift in Odisha.

What the BJP needs:

The BJP and its allies have a vote value of 5.32 lakh in the electoral college. This is short by 17,500 of the half way mark. If the BJP gets the support of the BJD and the AIADMK, then the vote value would go up to 6,28,195. The vote value of 5,49,442 is enough to elect the President in the electoral college. The electoral college comprises 4,896 legislators. This includes the 776 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members and 4,120 MLAs. The nominated members and the MLCs are not eligible to vote.

The vote value of each LS and RS member is 708. The vote value of the MLA depends on the population of the state. The vote value of an MLA is equivalent to the population of the state divided by the number of elected legislators divided, yet again, by 1,000. In UP the vote value of an MLA is the highest. It is at 209. The lowest vote value is from Sikkim at 7.

Currently the BJP and its allies have a vote value of 5,31,954. The BJP would need
17,488 and it would depend on the BJD and AIADMK for the same. The vote value of 134 AIADMK MLAs is 23,584. The vote value of 50 AIADMK MPs is 35,400. The BJD MLAs have a vote value of 17,433 while its 28 MLAs have a vote value of 19,824.

OneIndia News