The Congress today hoped President-elect Ram Nath Kovind will uphold the traditions of democracy with its chief Sonia Gandhi saying the president is the 'conscience keeper' of the Constitution of India.

The Congress party while congratulating Kovind also hoped that the president-elect would defend the nation and its people against any attack on democracy, fundamental rights and everything that the Constitution stands for.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said this election was not about numbers but a 'fight for our ideology and principles'.

"This is a struggle for upholding India's pluralism, diversity and composite culture. This is the true soul of India that we seek to defend," he said.

Surjewala said the Congress and other opposition parties fought this election as a struggle between autocracy of one man and cumulative wisdom of many, between politics of drift and division versus cohabitation and togetherness, a fight between subjugation of democratic institutions and preservation of their innate freedom.

"We hope that the new president-elect shall not only uphold these traditions but show the mirror of truth to a government drunk with arrogance of numbers," he said.

Surjewala said if one examines the results more minutely, 'we are happy that presidential candidate Meira Kumar holds close to 35 per cent votes.'

"Opposition unity has stayed intact while a government which was drunk with numbers and a Union minister who was also the agent of the winning candidate claimed that they will poll 70 per cent votes or more. The winning candidate has got about 65.66 per cent votes," he said.  -- PTI