NEW DELHI: The opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar today congratulated her poll rival Ram Nath Kovind for winning the election and said it had fallen on him to uphold the Constitution in letter and spirit in "these "challenging times".
Kumar said her fight for secularism, the oppressed and the marginalised would continue.
The former Lok Sabha speaker polled 1844 votes with a value of 367314 as against Kovind's 2930 votes with a value of 702044 (more than 65 percent votes).
"I congratulate Sh. Ram Nath Kovindji for becoming the President of India.
"My best wishes are with Sh. Kovindji as it has fallen upon him to uphold the Constitution in letter & spirit in these challenging times," she tweeted.
Kumar thanked the leaders of 17 opposition parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, for fielding her as their consensus candidate and also members of the collegium comprising MPs and MLAs -- who voted for her.
"My fight for secularism, the oppressed & the marginalised continues.I thank all my well wishers for their support & good wishes," she added.