Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha concedes defeat, congratulates Droupadi Murmu

New Delhi: Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha on Thursday congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her win in the presidential polls and said every Indian hope that as the 15th President she functions as the "custodian of the Constitution" without fear or favour.

NDA's presidential candidate Murmu crossed the 50 per cent mark after the third round of counting to emerge victorious in the poll over her rival Sinha.

In a statement, Sinha thanked the leaders of the Opposition parties for choosing him as their consensus candidate in this election.

"I also thank all members of the Electoral College who voted for me. I accepted the offer of Opposition parties solely guided by the philosophy of Karma Yoga preached by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita -- 'Do your duty without expectation of the fruits thereof'," Sinha said.

"I have performed my duty conscientiously out of my love for my country. The issues I had raised during my campaign remain pertinent," he said.

Sinha also said that till his last breath, he shall continue to serve the cause he believes in -- the very cause that guided him to contest the election for the highest office of the Republic.