The Indian election commission said in an official statement Saturday that Pratibha Patil, a candidate from the ruling Congress party, had won an overwhelming victory over her runner-up, the incumbent Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Patil, who previously served as governor of the northwestern state of Rajasthan, will serve in her present capacity for five years.
Although the president's role in India is largely ceremonial, with real executive authority vested in the Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, the current election could improve the situation of Indian women who are still facing widespread discrimination.
The incumbent president, Abdul Kalam, who has been dubbed "the Missile Man of India" for his contribution to the development of missile and space programs in the country, will vacate his post July 24.
