Pratibha will grow in stature, say supporters

New Delhi: The celebrations all around and the defiant victory sign only indicated the moment of glory for India's first woman President.

Pratibha Patil has faced a barrage of charges over the month-long campaign. Her denial lacked conviction, her opponents insisted. But in the end, the numbers were always with the UPA-Left combine, as the ruling coalition proved its strength.

Says President, UPA, Sonia Gandhi, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the UPA leaders of our coalition, the Left, Mayawatiji and many other leaders who have extended their support to our candidate who has worked hard to ensure her victory.”

The durability of the coalition can only be good news for the UPA in the lead up to general elections 2009.

How the numbers added up

• Pratibha Patil 6 lakh 38 thousand votes to Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's 3 lakh 31 thousand (A Victory margin of over 3 lakh votes).
• The deviation from the expected pattern of voting is around 11,000 in favour of Patil. It means that in a total electoral college of around 10.98 lakh votes, the deviation is just one per cent.

Some cross-voting was also reported from Gujarat where Narendra Modi is facing dissidence, Bihar and Chhatisgarh.

A few Uma Bharti supporters wasted their votes in Madhya Pradesh. And for the NDA it was a lost cause from the beginning, a fact that it was struggling to acknowledge.

“I hereby tender my resignation from the office of the Vice President of India,” said Bhairav Singh Shikhawat.

But with the bitter campaign now over, the focus shifts to India’ s first woman president, Pratibha Patil.

Patil has been scarcely heard in the last month, and appeared on the defensive right through, but her supporters can only hope that like some Presidents before her, she will grow in stature only after assuming office.