As anticipated, Pranab Mukherjee has become the 13th President of India, winning the race to the Rashtrapati Bhavan with a comfortable majority over P.A. Sangma.

Mukherjee received a whopping 69.3% of the total value of valid votes. Mukherjee got a total vote value of 7,13,555 while Sangma secured 3,16,195 in total vote value

Mukherjee crossed the half-way mark of 5,14,876 in vote value (from the total value of 10,29,750 of valid votes in the electoral college) even as votes from 10 states were yet to be counted.

Among the 748 MPs who voted, Mukherjee secured 527 votes with a value of 3,73,116 against 206 for Sangma, which has a value of 1,45,848. Fifteen votes, including that of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were invalid.

There was cross voting in BJP-ruled Karnataka with Mukherjee winning by 1834 votes.

Mukherjee will be sworn in on July 25. He will replace Pratibha Patil, India’s first woman President.

Rajendra Prasad served two consecutive terms as the President.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi were among the early visitors at Mukherjee's residence to congratulate him.

Mukherjee made a public appearance at his 13 Talkatora Road home to address the crowd gathered outside.

“I thank the great people of this country for conferring on me this distinction. I will protect, defend and preserve the Constitution,” he said.

Sangma congratulated Mukherjee, but also lashed out at his opponents and accused them of bias.

"The election process was exceptionally partisan and political through economic and other packages, inducements and threats," Sangma said.