Droupadi Murmu to become India's next president, wins majority in poll

The National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu on Thursday crossed the 50 percent mark after the third round of counting for the presidential poll to emerge victorious over her rival Yashwant Sinha.

Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha conceded defeat and congratulated Murmu on her victory in the presidential poll.

An official announcement on her win is expected after all votes are counted but she has already got 5,77,777 votes, which is more than the halfway mark of the total valid votes cast in the election on July 18.

Ram Nath Kovind, the current president, congratulated her in a tweet saying "Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Smt. Droupadi Murmu on being elected as the 15th President of India."

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his congratulation in a tweet saying, "India scripts history. At a time when 1.3 billion Indians are marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a daughter of India hailing from a tribal community born in a remote part of eastern India has been elected our President! Congratulations to Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji on this feat."

Returning Officer P C Mody announced that Murmu had already received over 53 percent of the total valid votes. Ballots from 10 states and union territories were still being counted.

In every round of counting so far, Murmu has received more than two-thirds of the votes. PTI reported that 17 MPs from opposition parties have cross-voted in her support.