Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu to be next President of India? - Know all about her

New Delhi: Who will be India's next President? With the countdown to the battle for Raisina Hill having already started, the names of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan and Sushma Swaraj have been doing the rounds, but it seems the ruling party is all set to spring a surprise and put forward Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu's name for the top post, report said on Thursday.

She took the charge of Governor on May 18, 2015.

- Droupadi Murmu, is the first tribal woman to hold the post of Jharkhand Governor.

- Daughter of late Biranchi Narayan Tudu, Governor Murmu has had an impressive political and social career spanning almost two decades.

- She was a former minister in Odisha government.

- In 2007 Droupadi Murmu was awarded “Nilakantha Award” for the best MLA of the year’s by the Legislative Assembly of Odisha.

- In 1997, When she was elected as a councillor and later became the vice chairperson of Rairangpur NAC. In the same year , she became the vice president of a national political party’s Odisha ST Morcha, and later, its president.

- 2000-2004 - Member of Legislative Assembly, Rairangpur, Odisha and became Minister of State (Independent Charge ). During 2000- 2002 she looked after the Department of Transport and Commerce. For two years from 2002-2004 Murmu was given the task to take care of Department of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry.

- From 2002-2009 she remained the National Executive Member ST Morcha, BJP.

- In 2010, she was anointed as BJP district president, Mayurbhanj (East).

- In 2013, she was again elected as district president of Mayurbhanj ( East ), and continued till April, 10, 2015. She also became the national executive member ST Morcha during the same period.

The incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee's term will expire on 25 July 2017.