BBC News: “Voting is under way in India to elect a new president.
The front-runner is the country’s former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. He is being challenged by opposition candidate, Purno Sangma.
The position is largely ceremonial, but the new president could play a decisive role in determining who forms the next government when national elections are held in 2014.
The results of the poll are expected to be announced on 22 July.
The winner will replace Pratibha Patil, who was India’s first woman president.
PRANAB MUKHERJEE
The veteran Congress party leader Pranab Mukherjee was born in 1935 in West Bengal.
He was a teacher, a journalist and a lawyer before being elected in 1969 to the upper house of parliament. He has served as finance, foreign and defence minister, and has held other influential positions in the government.
He fell out with the Congress leaders in 1986 and started his own party, but returned to the party fold two years later. He has served on the boards of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Indian presidents are not elected directly by the people but by an electoral college made up of members of parliament and state assemblies.”
via BBC News – Pranab Mukherjee tipped to win India presidential poll.
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