"Hope Droupadi Murmu Functions Without Fear Or Favour": Yashwant Sinha

Yashwant Sinha, who ran for President as the opposition's joint candidate, congratulated India's President-elect Droupadi Murmu after the results came out this evening.

"I join my fellow citizens in congratulating Droupadi Murmu on her victory in the presidential election 2022. India hopes that as the 15th President of the Republic, she functions as the custodian of the Constitution without fear or favour," Mr Sinha tweeted.

Droupadi Murmu, 64, is India's first tribal President. Nominated by the National Democratic Alliance, or NDA, she scored over 50 per cent of the total vote value after three rounds of counting.

In a one-page statement conceding defeat, Mr Sinha said, "Despite the outcome of the election, I believe it has benefitted Indian democracy in two important ways. First, it brought most opposition parties on a common platform. This is indeed the need of the hour, and I earnestly appeal to them to continue - indeed, further strengthen - opposition unity beyond the presidential election. It must be equally evident in the election of the Vice President."

"Second, in the court of my election campaign, I tried to highlight the views, concerns and commitments of the opposition parties on major issues before the nation and the common people. In particular, I voiced strong concern over the blatant and rampant weaponization of the ED, CBI, Income Tax Department and even the office of the Governor against opposition parties and their leaders," Mr Sinha said.

President-elect Murmu started public life as a councillor in Odisha and will be written into history as India's first tribal President and the second woman in the post. The former Jharkhand Governor won an easy victory over Mr Sinha.

She is believed to be deeply spiritual and a keen practitioner of the meditation techniques of the Brahma Kumaris, a movement she embraced after she lost her husband, two sons, mother and brother in six years between 2009 and 2015, news agency PTI reported.

Since June 21 when she was nominated as the NDA's presidential candidate, she has made no public statement.

The victory run seemed certain and her numbers got a boost with support from a section of opposition parties such as the Biju Janata Dal, Shiv Sena, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, YSR Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and Telegu Desam Party. Some of these parties had earlier supported Mr Sinha.