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{{Use Indian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2012 Indian presidential election
| country = India
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2007 Indian presidential election
| previous_year = 2007
| next_election = 2017 Indian presidential election
| next_year = 2017
| election_date = {{Start date|2012|07|19|df=y}}
| image1 = Secretary Tim Geithner and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee 2010 crop.jpg
| nominee1 = '''[[Pranab Mukherjee]]'''
| party1 = Indian National Congress
| alliance1 = United Progressive Alliance
| home_state1 = [[West Bengal]]
| electoral_vote1 = ''' 713,763'''
| percentage1 = '''69.3%'''
| states_carried1 = '''22'''
| image2 = [[File:The former Lok Sabha Speaker Shri P.A. Sangma met the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on January 18, 2004 (cropped).png|x150px]]
| nominee2 = [[P. A. Sangma]]
| party2 = National People's Party (India)
| alliance2 = National Democratic Alliance (India)
| home_state2 = [[Meghalaya]]
| electoral_vote2 = 315,987
| percentage2 = 30.7%
| states_carried2 = 8
| title = [[President of India|President]]
| before_election = [[Pratibha Patil]]
| before_party = Indian National Congress
| after_election = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| after_party = Indian National Congress
| map_image = Indian presidential election, 2012.svg
| map_size = 300px
| posttitle = [[President of India|President]]-elect
}}

The 14th [[Indirect election|indirect presidential election]], in order to elect the 13th [[President of India|president]], was held in [[India]] on 19 July 2012. The last date for filing nominations was 30 June, whereas the votes would be counted on 22 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/current/PN1262012.pdf|title=Election to the office of President of India, 2012 (14th Presidential election)|date=12 June 2012|accessdate=18 June 2012|publisher=[[Election Commission of India]]}}</ref><ref name="indiaholdjuly">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18420045 |title=India to hold presidential election in July |work=[[BBC News]] |date=13 June 2012 |accessdate=13 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="poll19">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3519957.ece |title=Presidential poll on July 19, counting on July 22 |first=Balaji |last=J |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=12 June 2012 |accessdate=13 June 2012 |location=New Delhi}}</ref><ref name="mamtameet">{{cite news |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-13/india/32214195_1_mamata-banerjee-trinamool-congress-pranab-mukherjee |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103162557/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-13/india/32214195_1_mamata-banerjee-trinamool-congress-pranab-mukherjee |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 January 2013 |title=Presidential poll on July 19, Mamata to meet Sonia today |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=13 June 2012 |accessdate=13 June 2012}}</ref> The two leading candidates for the presidency were former [[Finance Minister of India|Finance Minister]] [[Pranab Mukherjee]] from [[West Bengal]] and former [[Speaker of the Lok Sabha]] [[Purno Agitok Sangma]] from [[Meghalaya]].

On 22 July, Mukherjee was declared the winner.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pranab Mukherjee voted India's 13th President |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-22/india/32787938_1_vote-value-mukherjee-and-sangma-india-s-13th-president |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316043938/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-22/india/32787938_1_vote-value-mukherjee-and-sangma-india-s-13th-president |archive-date=2013-03-16 |date=2012-07-22 |url-status=live |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |accessdate=26 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pranab Mukherjee is 13th President |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/266025/pranab-mukherjee-13th-president.html |newspaper=Deccan Herald |date=2012-07-22 |accessdate=26 September 2013}}</ref> He was sworn in on 25 July at 11:30.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pranab Mukherjee to be sworn in as President of India on 25 July 2012|publisher=Dhruv Planet}}</ref>

==Selection process==
{{further|President of India#Selection process}}
The new president is chosen by an [[Electoral College (India)|electoral college]] consisting of the elected members of both houses of [[Parliament of India|parliament]], the elected members of the [[Vidhan Sabha|state legislative assemblies]] and the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the Union Territories of [[Delhi]] and [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/pr.html |title=Election of The President |publisher=Pib.nic.in |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref>

The nomination of a candidate for election to the office of the President must be subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors as seconders.
The election is held in accordance with the system of [[proportional representation]] by means of the [[Single transferable vote]] method. The voting takes place by [[secret ballot]]. The manner of election of President is provided by Article 55 of the [[Constitution of India|Constitution]].<ref name="LibraryLibrary">{{cite book|author1=Great Britain. Ministry of Overseas Development. Library|author2=Great Britain. Overseas Development Administration. Library|title=Public Administration|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQLff_T-uFAC&pg=PT167|publisher=Upkar Prakashan|page=167}}</ref>

==Candidates==
<gallery perrow="4">
File:Secretary Tim Geithner and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee 2010 crop.jpg|{{center|[[Minister of Finance (India)|Minister of Finance]]<br />'''[[Pranab Mukherjee]]'''}}
</gallery>

Various names had been speculated by the Indian media and politicians prior to the official candidacies being submitted. Opinion polls have shown that the public preferred former President [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]] to hold the post once again, which was supported by the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP). On 15 June, the [[United Progressive Alliance]] (UPA) announced [[Pranab Mukherjee]] as its presidential candidate.<ref name="reuters1">{{cite news|last=Bhattacharjya |first=Satarupa |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/india-president-pranab-mukherjee-idINDEE85E08B20120615?type=economicNews |title=UPA names Mukherjee for president in econ shakeup |publisher=Reuters |date= 15 June 2012|accessdate=18 June 2012}}</ref>
There were signs of a split within the [[Janata Dal (United)]] with Bihar Chief Minister [[Nitish Kumar]] saying that "like the other constituents, the JD (U) too will abide by the final decision on the presidential poll,"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3542972.ece |title=JD (U) to toe NDA line on Presidential poll: Nitish |work=The Hindu|date=18 June 2012 |accessdate=20 June 2012 |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> though [[Shivanand Tiwari]] said that "a senior and respected leader like Pranab Mukherjee, who is going into retire [from active politics] should be given a graceful send off."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_jdu-leader-makes-a-strong-pitch-for-pranab-mukherjee_1702916 |title=JD(U) leader makes a strong pitch for Pranab Mukherjee |newspaper=[[DNA India]] |date=16 June 2012 |accessdate=20 June 2012}}</ref> Tiwari added that "[Mukherjee] is a very senior and a respected leader, and my personal opinion is that as he should be elected to the president's post with consensus."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/jd-u-wants-consensus-on-pranab-mukherjee_782135.html |title=JD-U wants consensus on Pranab Mukherjee |publisher=[[Zee News]] |date=16 June 2012 |accessdate=20 June 2012}}</ref> The [[Shiv Sena]] supported Mukherjee's candidates according to its spokesman [[Sanjay Raut]].
On 18 June, Kalam said he would not run in the race<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-18/india/32298401_1_apj-abdul-kalam-bjp-leader-contest | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622074516/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-18/india/32298401_1_apj-abdul-kalam-bjp-leader-contest | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-06-22 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=APJ Abdul Kalam not to contest presidential poll 2012}}</ref> following statement from JDU leader Nitish Kumar and SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav that they would prefer to support Mukherjee. Following Kalam's decision, the BJP-led NDA turned to supporting Sangma.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/presidential-poll-bjp-draws-a-blank-with-kalam-looks-to-sangma-232846|title=Presidential poll: BJP draws a blank with Kalam, looks to Sangma}}</ref>

===Unofficial list===
The final candidacy application had 45 names. Scrutiny of the candidates took place on 2 July<ref>{{cite web|url=http://164.100.47.5/pres2012/pressrelease/statement.pdf|title=Presidential Elections}}</ref> Pranab Mukherjee filed his nomination on 28 June with the support of the INC's [[Manmohan Singh]], party president [[Sonia Gandhi]], General Secretary [[Rahul Gandhi]], Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, the [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]]'s leader [[Lalu Prasad Yadav]], the [[Rashtriya Lok Dal]]'s [[Ajit Singh (Indian politician)|Ajit Singh]], the [[Lok Janshakti Party]]'s [[Ram Vilas Paswan]], the [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]]'s [[Farooq Abdullah]], the [[Indian Union Muslim League]]'s [[E. Ahmed]] and the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]'s [[T. R. Baalu]]. The ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' suggested that he also had the support of the [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]]'s Janata Dal (United) and the Shiv Sena, as well as the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]]. Mukherjee said after filing his nomination papers that "I only wish at this time that we have the blessing of god and cooperation of all at this juncture." P. A. Sangma filed his nomination papers with the support of the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Punjab Chief Minister [[Parkash Singh Badal]], Goa Chief Minister [[Manohar Parrikar]], BJP party president [[Nitin Gadkari]] and party leaders [[Lal Krishna Advani]], [[Sushma Swaraj]] and [[Arun Jaitley]], as well as the INC's Arvind Netam, who is the head of the [[Tribal Forum of India]] which supported Sangma. Prior to filing his nomination with the ''[[Rajya Sabha]]'' Secretary General V. K. Agnihotri he said that "today is a victory of tribal unity, that a tribal is filing his nomination for the post of president."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Prez-poll-Pranab-flaunts-more-allies-Sangma-lags-behind/Article1-880179.aspx |title=Pranab flaunts more allies, Sangma lags behind |work=Hindustan Times|date=28 June 2012 |accessdate=25 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629105452/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Prez-poll-Pranab-flaunts-more-allies-Sangma-lags-behind/Article1-880179.aspx |archive-date=29 June 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Potential candidates===
Following is the list of potential candidates speculated by media.
* [[Vice President of India|Vice President]] [[Mohammad Hamid Ansari]].<ref name=rdf>{{cite news |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-analysis-who-will-become-the-next-president-of-india/20120613.htm#1 |publisher=[[Rediff.com]] |date=13 June 2012 |title=Who will become the next President of India? |access-date=29 May 2016}}</ref><ref name=wsj>{{cite news |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/06/14/interpreting-indias-presidential-soap-opera/ |publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=14 June 2012 |title=Interpreting India's Presidential Soap Opera |access-date=29 May 2016 |author=Amol Sharma and Vibhuti Agarwal}}</ref>
* Former [[President of India|President]] [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]].<ref name=wsj />
* Former [[Speaker of the Lok Sabha]] [[Somnath Chatterjee]].<ref name=wsj />
* [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Manmohan Singh]].<ref name=wsj />
* [[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]] [[A. K. Antony]].<ref name=itoday>{{Cite news |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/presidential-elections-candidates-rashtrapati-bhavan/1/182766.html |title=Presidential elections: 14 candidates doing the rounds for post |date=3 April 2012 |author=Kay Benedict |access-date=30 May 2016 |publisher=[[India Today]]}}</ref>
* [[Speaker of the Lok Sabha]] [[Meira Kumar]].<ref name=itoday />
* Former [[Governor of West Bengal]] [[Gopal Krishna Gandhi]].<ref name=itoday />
* Former [[Union minister]] and former [[Indian Ambassador to the United States|Ambassador to the United States]] [[Karan Singh]].<ref name=itoday />
* [[Chief Election Commissioner of India|Chief Election Commissioner]] [[S. Y. Quraishi]].<ref name=itoday />
* [[Chief Minister of Punjab (India)|Chief Minister of Punjab]] [[Parkash Singh Badal]].<ref name=itoday />
* Former [[Minister of Defence (India)|Minister of Defence]] and [[Samajwadi Party]] leader [[Mulayam Singh Yadav]].<ref name=itoday />
* Former [[Union minister]] [[Mohsina Kidwai]].<ref name=itoday />
* Member of the [[Rajya Sabha]] and [[Janata Dal (United)]] leader [[Sharad Yadav]].<ref name=itoday />

==Electoral votes==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Party/Alliance
! Percentage <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/archive/01112/Graphics__How_the__1112721a.pdf |title=How the numbers might stack up! |newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=18 June 2012 |year=2012 |location=Chennai, India}}</ref>
|-
| [[United Progressive Alliance]] (UPA)
| 33.2%
|-
| [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|National Democratic Alliance]] (NDA)
| 28%
|-
| [[Samajwadi Party]] (SP)
| 6.2%
|-
| [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]]
| 4.7%
|-
| [[All India Trinamool Congress]] (TMC)
| 4.4%
|-
| [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] (BSP)
| 3.9%
|-
| [[All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (AIADMK)
| 3.3%
|-
| [[Biju Janata Dal]] (BJD)
| 2.7%
|}

The election's Returning Officer V. K. Agnihotri announced: "I declare that Shri Pranab Mukherjee has been duly elected to the office of President of India."<ref name="zee"/> Mukherjee gained 373,116 MP votes and 340,647 MLA votes for a total of 713,763 votes to win the election. He defeated Sangma, who got 145,848 MP votes and 170,139 MLA votes for a total of 315,987 votes.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |url=http://164.100.47.5/pres2012/pressrelease/English.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=22 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607174759/http://164.100.47.5/pres2012/pressrelease/English.pdf |archive-date=7 June 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mukherjee's win was aided by cross-voting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/pranab-mukherjee-helped-by-cross-voting-in-karnataka-bjp-246245?pfrom=home-otherstories |title=Pranab Mukherjee helped by cross voting in Karnataka BJP |publisher=NDTV.com |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref> He took the [[oath of office]] on 25 July at 11:00 in the Central Hall of the parliament building.<ref name="zee"/>
In Andhra Pradesh, the [[Telegu Desam Party]] and the [[Telangana Rashtra Samithi]] abstained from voting, while in Kerala and West Bengal, the same is not applied to the [[Communist Party of India]] and the [[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|Revolutionary Socialist Party]]. In Karnataka, one MLA abstained. In Assam, there were two invalid voted and one abstention. In Bihar, three voted were invalid with one abstention. In Haryana, there were 8 invalid votes. In Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram one vote was invalid. In Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Meghalaya and Nagaland and Punjab and Sikkim, there were two invalid votes. In West Bengal, four votes were invalid.<ref name="zee"/>

{{Indian presidential election, 2012}}

===Reactions===
Pranab Mukherjee thanked the people of the "great country" and "express[ed] deep gratitude for electing me to high office." He later told the media that he "thank[s] all those who supported me...I thank Sangma for congratulating me. I have received much more than I have given."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/live-counting-of-votes-begins-for-president-poll/272800-37-64.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724131911/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/live-counting-of-votes-begins-for-president-poll/272800-37-64.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2012 |title=President poll: I thank the people of India, says Pranab - Politics - Politics News - ibnlive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref> He also said he would "protect, defend and preserve [the [[Constitution of India]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>. I will try to justify in a modest way as I can to be trustworthy."<ref name="zee"/> He was also congratulated by his former party colleagues Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]], [[Sonia Gandhi]], as well as Vice-President [[Hamid Ansari]] and BJP President [[Nitin Gadkari]].<ref name="zee">{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/presidential-election-results-live-counting-gets-underway_788957.html |title=Pranab Mukherjee elected India's 13th President |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref>

While Sangma congratulated Mukherjee he also added: "The process in this Presidential election has been exceptionally partisan and political. The public perception is certainly that in identification and projection of its candidate, the UPA did not genuinely build consensus and that it persuaded political parties commanding major sections of the presidential electoral college by economic and other packages...as well as inducements, threats and promises. For election to the Lok Sabha and Assembly, there is a code of conduct for free and fair elections. Such a [[code of conduct]] does not exist for presidential and vice-presidential elections...Rs. 57,000 crore were given to U.P., Rs 27,000 crore to Bihar and so many other things have happened. We are meeting a day after tomorrow to review the whole situation where this matter will come up for discussion."<ref>{{cite news|author=PTI |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3670000.ece |title=News / National : Presidential election process was exceptionally partisan: Sangma |work=The Hindu|date=22 June 2012 |accessdate=25 July 2012 |location=Chennai, India}}</ref> He also added that this was an opportunity lost to elect a tribal candidate as president.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/this-presidential-poll-was-a-political-battle/272883-37-64.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126112945/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/this-presidential-poll-was-a-political-battle/272883-37-64.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 January 2013 |title=This presidential poll was a political battle - Politics - Politics News - ibnlive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=13 June 2012|accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref> INC spokesman [[Manish Tewari]] responded in saying: "Magnanimity should mark the conduct of people, who contest elections. Gritting after losing an election only endorses the proverb that grapes are sour [when you cannot reach them];" its General Secretary [[Janardan Dwivedi]] added to criticism of Sangma's allegations that "I think one should not talk with such a narrow vision."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/congress-hits-out-at-pa-sangma_789112.html |title=Congress hits out at PA Sangma |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref>

In response to cross-voting against party lines as Mukherjee had support from 98 MLAs of the INC and JDS yet won with 19 extra votes and the Sangma got only 103 votes of BJP's 119 MLAs, Karnataka BJP General Secretary Dharmendra Pradhan said that "the party is taking this matter very seriously. The Central leadership has asked the Karnataka BJP unit to form a committee to probe this cross-voting by our MLAs. Once we get the committee's report we will take appropriate action." The issue also follows infighting within the Karnataka BJP that culminated in the recent appointment of [[Jagadish Shettar]] as chief minister.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/prez-poll-bjp-miffed-over-cross-voting_789108.html |title=Prez poll: BJP miffed over cross-voting |publisher=Zeenews.india.com |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref>

[[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|Anti-corruption activist group]] [[Team Anna]] criticised Mukherjee in saying the country now had a "corrupt president."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/now-we-have-a-corrupt-president-says-team-anna/273040-37-64.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724131951/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/now-we-have-a-corrupt-president-says-team-anna/273040-37-64.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2012 |title=Now we have a corrupt President, says Team Anna - Politics - Politics News - ibnlive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref> [[Biocon]] CEO [[Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw]] said of the election: "We are making a mockery of the presidential post. This is considered the highest office in our country and should be apolitical. The president should be an apolitical appointee who has the stature and integrity that can hold the political system accountable. How can persons who are in office, holding key ministerial posts, be even eligible for such a post? This is becoming a political chess game which is devaluing this very lofty post."<ref>{{cite news|last=Mcdonald |first=Mark |url=http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/which-is-better-for-india-rubber-stamp-or-partisan-president/ |title=Which is Better for India: Rubber Stamp or Partisan President? - NYTimes.com |publisher=Rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com |date=4 July 2012 |accessdate=25 July 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://eci.nic.in/eci_main1/presi_elec2012.aspx Election Commission information on the presidential election]
* [http://164.100.47.5/pres2012/ Official Website of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for the Presidential Election]

;Media
* [http://www.indianexpress.com/fullcoverage/presidential-poll/444/ Presidential poll 2012: Full Coverage] collected news and commentary at ''[[The Indian Express]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120507060849/http://ibnlive.in.com/features/raceforpresident.html Next President: Race for President, 2012] collected news and commentary at ''[[CNN-IBN]]''
* [http://indiatoday.intoday.in/gallery/presidential-polls-2012/1/6832.html Coming up: Presidential Polls 2012]

{{Indian presidential elections}}

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2012 Indian presidential election - Revision history

MetaBOT at 17:47, 8 July 2023