EMPHATIC victory for President Pranab Mukherjee

Pranab Mukherjee was on Sunday elected as the 13th President of India, marking a new journey for the veteran Congress leader after over four decades of life in active politics.

Mukherjee, United Progressive Alliance nominee, got 5,64,469 vote value, well beyond the half-way mark of 5,25,140 in an electoral college of over 10.5 lakh when counting of votes polled by the MPs and MLAs of 20 of the 30 states was completed.

His rival P A Sangma, who was backed by Bharatiya Janata Party and some other opposition parties like All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Biju Janata Dal, could manage only 2,57,466 vote value, according to Rajya Sabha Secretary General V K Agnihotri, who is the Returning Officer for the poll.

The 76-year-old Congress leader brings to the top Constitutional post a wealth of experience as he has held key positions in the party and government, including holding the portfolios of finance, defence and external affairs.

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CONGRATULATE Pranab Mukherjee!

He established a clear lead right from the beginning when counting of votes of MPs completed and maintained it across the states, except the BJP-ruled ones. He sprang a surprise in BJP-ruled Karnataka where he got the votes of 117 MLAs against BJP's 103 in the 224-member Assembly.

Out of 748 MPs, who had voted, he secured 527 votes with a value of 3,73,116 against 206 for Sangma which has a value of 1,45,848.

Fifteen votes including that of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were invalid. Of these, nine were to be in favour of Mukherjee while six for Sangma.

Voting for the Presidential election took place on July 19. The electoral college for the poll comprises MPs and MLAs.

As Mukherjee headed for victory, senior ministers, including A K Antony and P Chidambaram, went to his 13, Talkatora Road residence in New Delhi to greet him.

"He will be a great President. We wish him all the success," Chidambaram told reporters outside his residence.

As expected, Mukherjee won with the backing of UPA partners, including Trinamool Congress which had announced its support only at the last minute. Outside supporters of UPA, including Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, besides some opposition parties like Janata Dal-United and Shiv Sena also voted in his favour.

In Kerala, it was a clean sweep for Mukherjee as he got all the 124 votes polled while one was invalid. Sangma drew a blank. Communist Party of India and Revolutionary Socialist Party members abstained from voting which has a 140 member assembly.

In neighbouring BJP-ruled Karnataka, there has been apparent cross-voting. Mukherjee got the majority votes in the 224-member assembly with 117 MLAs voting for him. Sangma could get only 103 votes while three votes were invalid. One MLA did not vote.

The Congress had expected only 102 votes, including that of H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal-Secular.

Sangma, as expected, scored heavily in states ruled by BJP, like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa.

Strangely in Jharkhand where BJP shares power with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Sangma got the votes of only 20 MLAs. JMM voted for Mukherjee.

The electoral college included 4120 MLAs in the states.

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