New Delhi, July 18 :    New Delhi, July 18:  The newspaper vendor from Rameswaram today made news when he was elected India's 12th President in a one-sided contest. In a preferential system of election, the result of which was announced today, 71-year-old A.P.J. Abdul Kalam trounced the Left-backed Laxmi Sahgal. Kalam bagged nearly 90 per cent vote value, polling 4,152 votes with a value of 9,22,884, against Sahgal's 459 votes accounting for 1,07,366 vote value. Of the 4,785 MPs and MLAs who voted, 174 votes were found invalid, including 42 invalid votes by MPs. Old-timers said it was a record of sorts. The image of Kalam's silver locks seems to have stuck in the legislators' minds, with one MP who cast an invalid vote advising Kalam to 'get your hair cut before becoming the President of the republic'. Another invalid ballot said Sahgal should have contested 20 years ago. Kalam and his election agent, Pramod Mahajan, did not seem bothered by the fall in the percentage of votes. The missile technologist said he was delighted on being elected as President of India. 'India needs a second vision to transform into a prosperous, poverty free, healthy and developed nation,' the President-elect said in his first message to the country. Mahajan was also pleased with the result. Soon after handing over the election declaration to Kalam, he said: 'I told the President-elect that one satellite (Kalam) has been put in orbit and my job now is to put the second satellite (NDA vice-presidential candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat) also into orbit. He (Kalam) responded by saying you are a good booster.' Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf felicitated Kalam on his victory. In a message, Musharraf said he hopes to work with Kalam for the establishment of tension-free relations between Pakistan and India and for resolving the differences that stand in the way of normal bilateral ties. Kalam will be sworn in at the central hall of Parliament on July 25 when he will succeed K.R. Narayanan, the first Dalit President of the republic whose term expires on July 24. He would be sporting a Jodhpuri bandhgala on the day of his swearing-in. The President-elect's desire to bring in 1,000 schoolchildren from all over the country to see the swearing-in may not be fulfilled as the government is prepared to accommodate just 100 students from various Delhi schools. Tomorrow, Narayanan will host a dinner for the President-elect and the council of ministers headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Prime Minister will host a dinner in honour of outgoing President Narayanan on July 24 at Hyderabad House where Kalam and the council of ministers will be present. Left parties have graciously accepted Sahgal's defeat. Nilotpal Basu, who represented Sahgal, however, said she had secured 17,000 more of value votes than was expected. Security was heightened at Kalam's Asiad Village house, where the media and well wishers poured in to congratulate him.