National Democratic Alliance-backed presidential nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has said the nation should not have a 'rubber stamp' President who signs every file without reading it and understanding its implications.
Advocating a new democratic tradition, he felt that the political establishment should consecrate the principle of 'making the Vice President the natural choice for the presidency.'
"There are many who, like me, believe that the country should not have a rubber stamp as President," 83-year-old Shekhawat, whose term as Vice President ends on August 18, said in an interview to India Today Editor Prabhu Chawla.
"We are going through a very complex political environment now. The President should not sign every file and document without understanding its implications," he said.
Despite numbers being stacked against him in the direct contest against UPA-Left nominee Pratibha Patil, Shekhawat held that his chances of winning were 'good.'
On why he was fighting a losing battle, Shekhawat shot back, "Am I wrong? Am I committing a crime? There is a vacancy coming up in Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Indian Constitution calls for an election, not a nomination. I am only exercising my democratic right."
On the odds being clearly against him, the Vice President said, "I am driven by principles, not numbers. The cardinal principle of a democracy is that the electorate should not be denied a choice."
Shekhawat, who resigned from BJP when he became a vice presidential candidate in 2002, does not see himself as a political candidate but the 'best choice in a bad situation.'
He feels that presidentship 'can be more than ceremonial. It has great potential to serve the real poor.' He says the right to live with dignity 'is a fundamental right.'
Asked whether he would go around campaigning for votes, he said "I will not ask for votes. I will not visit any state. My work and my well wishers will get me the votes."
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