Presidential election 2022: Who might be a potential candidate?

Ram Nath Kovind would serve as the President of India till only July 24, 2022. Last week, the Election Commission of India announced that a poll to find President Kovind’s successor will be held on July 18. In that election, 4,809 members—including MPs and MLAs—of the electoral college would vote to elect the 16th President of India.

Keeping the upcoming Presidential elections in mind, political parties have started to formulate plans and gather consensus to reach the majority mark. Although the Bharatiya Janata Party is unlikely to re-nominate President Kovind for another term, speculations are rife about various other candidates.

So far, the BJP-led central government, as well as the opposition parties, have been tight-lipped about their candidates—neither has there been any official announcement. However, through the rumours, there have been several names that kept emerging to create a list of potential candidates. Here are some of the prominent personalities that have the highest probability to be shortlisted to contest and become the next President of the country.

Mohammad Arif Khan

One of the top names that have been doing the rounds is the current governor of Kerala, Mohammad Arif Khan. Speculation is that Khan is one of the contenders who could be named as BJP’s candidate. The ruling party would nominate a person as Presidential candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections—and with the backlash from Islamic countries over the remarks against Prophet Mohammed by senior BJP leaders, the party might field Khan to send out a political message. Khan’s long political career since his student days also favours his candidature.

Draupadi Murmu

Another probable candidate for the BJP, Draupadi Murmu has proven her competency as an able administrator after being the only governor of Jharkhand to have completed a five-year term (2015-2021). A tribal leader from Odisha, she is the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She had been an Odisha cabinet minister and an MLA from Rairangpur assembly constituency. Murmu’s came up as a possible candidate at the end of President Pranab Mukherjee’s term as well. This time it is reported that the BJP might decide on Murmu’s name to confirm its claims of working vigorously for the tribal population.

Anusuiya Uikey

Another possible BJP candidate is the sitting Chhattisgarh governor Anusuiya Uikey. Like Murmu, Uikey, too, fulfils the criteria of both a woman and a tribal leader and is an ideal candidate for the ruling NDA government. A former Rajya Sabha MP, Uikey was also on the commissions of Scheduled Tribes both at the state as well as the central level. Incidentally, Uikey started her political career with the Indian National Congress; she joined the BJP in the early 1990s. Before joining politics, she was a teacher at a government college in Madhya Pradesh.

Tamilisai Soundararajan

Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, a key Nadar leader from the South and the ex-president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, can also become BJP’s nominee for the Presidential polls. She was also the national secretary of the party and is the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry (additional charge) which highlights her administrative competence. She is a trained doctor and did her MBBS at Madras Medical College, Chennai. Over the years, since her foray into politics as the South Chennai District Medical Wing Secretary in 1999, she has held various positions within BJP, including (Tamil Nadu) State General Secretary in 2007.

Thawar Chand Gehlot

Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot is one of the primary Dalit faces of the BJP and was the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha before he was appointed governor. Gehlot was a member of BJP’s Parliamentary Board and the Central Election Committee. Rumoured to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gehlot also served as the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment in Modi’s first term as the PM. With the BJP aiming to woo Dalit votes in the 2024 general elections, Gehlot is also a front-runner as a potential Presidential candidate.

Ghulam Nabi Azad

The senior congress statesman and the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir can be fielded by the Opposition against the NDA candidate in the Presidential elections. According to media reports, a Nationalist Congress Party leader stated that Azad can be a viable choice and that his name for candidature can be expected. Till February 2021, Azad served as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, before that he served as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs in Manmohan Singh’s government. Azad is also the recipient of Padma Bhushan for his contribution in Indian public affairs.

Sharad Pawar

Another prominent name from the opposition that has been speculated for the Presidential candidate is the NCP chief, and former Union Defence Minister Sharad Pawar. The octogenarian leader on Monday refused to contest the elections, as reported by CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, but might act as a king-maker in the elections. Pawar is a recipient of Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India, and has been an active patron of sports in India. He has also served as the head of various sports associations, including the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Yashwant Sinha

The rebel BJP leader and the present leader of the Trinamool Congress are also on the list of probable candidates who can be fielded by the opposition for the polls. Mamata Banerjee, in the meeting she convened on June 15, is expected to form a consensus over Sinha’s name. In his political career, Sinha has held several important portfolios like that of EAM and Finance Minister.

Sumitra Mahajan

Senior BJP leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan’s name is also making rounds in the political corridor. Mahajan was only the second woman after Meira Kumar to be elected as the Lok Sabha speaker and was the longest-serving MP from the Indore constituency of Madhya Pradesh after she won elections consecutively from 1989 to 2019.

Jual Oram

Another tribal leader from Odisha, Jual Oram has been a renowned name in tribal politics and on the list of probable candidates who can be fielded by the BJP for the Presidential elections. He was also the president of BJP’s state unit in Odisha and has served five terms as a Member of Parliament. He is presently serving as the chairman of the parliamentary defence committee.

While the parties are yet to make any announcement, political pundits are already speculating on certain other names. Leaders such as Nitish Kumar were also anticipated until Kumar dismissed the speculations. The last date for filing the nominations is June 29, with the next day being dedicated to scrutiny of the nomination. The voting is scheduled for July 18.