SRINAGAR, July 22: On expected lines, United Progressive Alliance candidate and former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday won the race to occupy the Rashtrapati Bhavan and is expected to take oath as the 13th President of India on July 25.
Mukherjee secured 5,64,469 vote value in Presidential Election 2012, well ahead of the half-way mark of 5,25,140 in an electoral college of over 10.5 lakh, when counting of votes of 20 of the 30 states was completed.
His rival PA Sangma, supported by some opposition parties including BJP could manage to get only 2,57,466 vote value so far, according to Rajya Sabha Secretary General V K Agnihotri.
Mukherjee got the support of 527 MP’s while his rival, PA Sangma polled 206 votes in his favour. A total of 15 votes were declared invalid.
Jammu and Kashmir gave Mukherjee 68 votes while Sangma got 15 votes. Two votes were declared invalid.
Mukherjee’s vote value here stands at 4,896 while Sangma got 1,080. The Assembly has 87 MLAs.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has congratulated Mukherjee for being elected as the country’s next President and expressed hope that he will visit the state soon.
“We are sure he will be a great President and the nation will benefit from the vast experience that he has gathered over his long and illustrious career. We look forward to receive him in Srinagar when he comes to see the Tulips,” Omar said.
Omar’s father and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah also congratulated Mukherjee on his election saying this is “most delightful news we could get”. Mukherjee is a man with vast experience and has a vision about the future of this country, he said.
The Electoral College also consists of 4,120 MLAs in the states.
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