In the next Presidential elections, Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu could turn out to be a surprise candidate of the National Democratic Alliance government to replace President Pranab Mukherjee.

Murmu’s name has been doing the rounds for a few months and speculation is rife that Modi may play the Dalit trump card. With 20 years of political experience, Murmu could become the first tribal to be elected to India’s highest office.

Murmu as President will also give Odisha a higher standing in national politics.

Murmu’s appointment as Governor of Jharkhand in 2015 was also seen as a regional political masterstroke by the BJP where tribal factions who were opposing the appointment of Raghubar Das, a non-tribal, as Chief Minister of the state, were promised to have voice through the Murmu’s appointment.

She became the first woman leader from Odisha to be appointed Governor of a state when took the reins of Jharkhand two years ago.

Her political career began in 1997 when she was elected Councilor in Rajrangpur district in Odisha. Three years later, she was elected from the same constituency to the state assembly.

Before joining politics, she served as the honorary assistant teacher in Shri Aravindo Integral Education and Research, Rairangpur, and also as junior assistant in Irrigation Department.

She was also the National Executive Member of the ST Morcha of the BJP till 2009.

From 2000 to 2004, Murmu held many ministerial portfolios in the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal government, having departments like Transport and Commerce along with Fisheries and Animal Husbandry under her supervision.

In 2007, she was awarded the Nilakantha Award for best MLA of the year by the Odisha Assembly.

She also served as BJP district president of Mayurbhanj from 2002 to 2009 and again in 2013, a post that she continued to hold till she took over as the Governor of Jharkhand.

Should Murmu be announced as the NDA’s candidate, she will be in pole position to win the elections. The NDA is just short of a majority in the electoral college which votes for the President, and only needs support from a neutral party such as Odisha’s BJD or the AIADMK to ensure that its candidate wins.