India's First Lady: Pratibha Patil

Pratibha Patil, who has been elected India's first woman president, was by no means a unanimous choice for the role.

Her candidacy failed to temper a bitter disagreement over the presidency between Congress, which leads a coalition government.

Born in 1934 in India's western state of Maharashtra, Mrs Patil has had a long and largely low-key political career.

Her appointment as governor of Rajasthan in 2004 saw her become the first woman governor in the north-western state.

She came in for heavy criticism from opposition figures and in the Indian media after emerging as a candidate for president.

The BJP attempted to portray her as unsuitable for the post of president, revealing that police were investigating both her husband and her brother in connection with the (unrelated) deaths of a teacher and a party worker.

News via BBC