‘I am overwhelmed’
New Delhi: Pranab Mukherjee was on Sunday elected the President in a bitterly-contested but one-sided poll, trouncing Purno A Sangma by a huge margin to begin a new journey after over four decades of active political innings.
In an election that caused divisions in the opposition NDA and the Left, the 76-year-old UPA nominee Mukherjee secured a vote value of 7,13,763, garnering 69.3 per cent of the total 10,29,750 valid votes polled.
Rival P A Sangma, who was backed by BJP and some other opposition parties like AIADMK and BJD, trailed far behind with 3,15,987 vote value in the polling that saw heavy cross-voting against him by BJP MLAs in Karnataka in favour of Mukherjee.
The run-up to the election was bitter with the Sangma camp accusing Mukherjee of forgery and raising question of office of profit violations only to be rejected by the election authorities.
Affectionately called “dada”, Mukherjee will be the first leader from West Bengal to occupy the top Constitutional post.
He will be sworn-in as the 13th President on July 25 in the Central Hall of Parliament, taking over from Pratibha Patil.
A veteran of politics and art of governance, Mukherjee was the troubleshooter for the UPA in the last eight years and brings a wealth of experience to the top Constitutional office having held various key positions in the party and government at the Centre.
In brief comments after being elected, Mukherjee pledged to “protect, defend and preserve” the Constitution. “I will try to justify in a modest way as I can to be trustworthy.”
He said he was overwhelmed by the support he got from people, not limited to the electoral college comprising MPs and MLAs.
“I have received much more from the country, its political establishment and Parliament than what I have given.”
Greetings poured from all over with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and senior Ministers making a beeline to his 13, Talkatora Road residence. Vice President Hamid Ansari called him to congratulate.
The exultation in the UPA ranks was amtched by wild celebrations in Mukherjee’s village Mirati in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. People danced to drums and smeared ‘gulal’ on each other as their man made the transition to the country’ highest office.
Known to be a voracious reader and indefatigable worker who’s hard at work plodding through reams of files till midnight, he is married to Surva, a known Rabindra Sangeet exponent. The couple has two children.”I can’t explain how happy I am,” said his elder sister Annapurna Devi. (Agencies)