Even before the Returning Officer for the election of the President of India T D P Achary opened the first ballot box in front of leading political leaders for counting, people from Amravati in Maharashtra had started pouring in to see the first woman being elected to the hightest office of the country.

Hundreds of kilograms of motichur ladoos were brought from Kaleva in Bhagat Singh Market in the heart of Delhi to be distributed to the newspersons and supporters alike.

As the news spread that the final counting was over and Pratibha had won by over 3 lakh votes over her nearest rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, boxes of ladoos were thrust into everyone's hands to celebrate the victory.

Then everyone who was somebody made a beeline to 9/11 South Avenue to congratulate the President Elect.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with Pratibha came out to wave to mediapersons.

"This is a special moment for us women, and not men, that for the first time in 60 years of Independence a woman has been elected to the office of President of India. I thank all the alliance partners and Mayawatiji," Sonia told waiting journalists.

Dr Singh described the victory of Pratibha as a defeat of divisive forces and a grand victory for the secular forces.

Pratibha in her brief speech assured that she would protect the Constitution and thanked all those who gave her their support.

Motilal Vohra and Janardhan Dwivedi were among the top leaders of the Congress party to reach her residence.

"We are proud that a woman has become the President of the country. But we must not forget that we had a woman prime minister who ruled India for 17 long years. Now we have Sonia Gandhi who is the chairperson of UPA," he said.

Veteran Congressman Rambhau Kukade, 75, donning a Gandhi topi, was one of the happiest persons in the crowd.

"Tai has bcome the President of India and she has done India and Maharashtrians proud. She is my sister," the grand old man said. He has worked with Pratibha in the social field.

D N alias Babanrao Metkar, former legislator and immediate neighbour of Pratibha said that it was a great experience to work with tai during the last 45 years in various capacities.

"When she was given a ticket for the first time by Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan in 1962 to contest for the MLA's seat, I was asked to assist her. In 1989, when she became leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly when Sharad Pawar [Images] became chief minister after split in the Congress party, she asked me to work as the general secretary of the state party unit. Knowing the way she works, let me assure you that she will not be a rubber stamp," Metkar said.

Bhanu Misra, a youth Congress leader and an astrologer, felt that this was just the beginning of Sonia's astute leadership.

According to a senior scribe from Amaravati, special boggies are being attached to allow Maharastirans to travel to Delhi for the oath-taking ceremony of Pratibha on July 25.