Pranab Mukherjee was elected the 13th President of India after he defeated P.A. Sangma in a contest that ended on expected lines. The veteran leader rode on the massive support from across the political spectrum to register an emphatic victory.

From being number two in the ruling coalition, Mukherjee is on his way to becoming the first citizen.

“I have got much more in return than I have given. I thank everyone who voted for me. I hope to do the job now entrusted to me – to defend and preserve the Constitution,” Mukherjee said soon after it became clear that he was on the victory path.

The Congress veteran, with a political career spanning over 40 years, trounced Sangma – backed by the BJP, AIADMK and BJD – by 1,612 votes. He had reached the required halfway mark to register victory even when votes for 10 states were yet to be counted.

Mukherjee and Sangma congratulated each other after the results became obvious, but the bitterness that had taken root during the run up to the contest remained. Sangma accused the UPA of influencing states through economic packages, accusing the Congress of starting the dangerous trend. “There should be a code of conduct,” the NDA nominee said.

Mukherjee’s victory was a foregone conclusion as all major political parties had announced their support for his candidature, including the BJP’s NDA partners the Janata Dal (United) and the Shiv Sena. Not only was the NDA divided, the contest also saw the UPA falling apart with the Trinamool Congress first opposing Mukherjee’s candidature only to support him later.

What came as a major embarrassment for the BJP was the result in saffron-ruled Karnataka where Mukherjee got 19 more votes than expected. The internal bickering in the state, precipitated by former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa, had a clear impact.