Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha on Thursday congratulated Droupadi Murmu on her win in the presidential poll and said he hopes that as the 15th president she functions as the "custodian of the Constitution" without fear or favour. NDA nominee 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 also expressed concern over the country's situation, saying India has never seen "political corruption of such magnitude", and this, coupled with the "poisonous politics of polarisation", poses a grave danger to democracy and communal harmony.