Prez poll: EC to issue certificate of election to Droupadi Murmu on Friday

The Election Commission will on Friday issue a ‘certificate of election’ to NDA nominee Droupadi Murmu who has emerged victorious in the presidential poll.

The certificate is issued after the returning officer hands over the result to the poll panel. It will be signed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey.

The certificate will then be sent to the Union Home Secretary who will read it out at the oath-taking ceremony of the 15th President of India which is likely to take place at the historic Central Hall of Parliament House on July 25.

The term of incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind ends on July 24.

Droupadi Murmu scripted history on Thursday by becoming India’s first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.

Murmu, 64, won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind to become the country’s 15th president.

After the end of the counting process that continued for more than 10 hours, returning officer P C Mody declared Murmu as the winner and said that she got 6,76,803 votes against Sinha’s 3,80,177 votes.

She will be the first President to be born after Independence and the youngest to occupy the top post. She is also the second woman to become the President after Pratibha Patil.