'Apolitical' Rahul has ill-will against none

MUMBAI: Having filed his nomination for the June 15 Rajya Sabha election against the Congress, well-known industrialist Rahul Bajaj on Monday recalled his connection with the grand old party to drive home the point that he’s not a politician.

Asked about the Congress not supporting his candidature and fielding its own nominee, the Bajaj boss said every party has to take care of its interests.

“I met Sonia Gandhi yesterday. I hold her in high regard,” he said. “My family has been associated with the Congress and the freedom movement for the last 70 years and my father late Kamalnayan Bajaj represented Wardha constituency three times. I feel being in the industry is also a good way of doing public service and I have tried to do that all through.”

The CMD of Bajaj Auto on Monday said he had the backing of the NCP, the BJP and the Shiv Sena for the June 15 election. “NCP chief Sharad Pawar and leader Praful Patel called me up yesterday informing me of their party’s support to my candidature,” Mr Bajaj told reporters at Vidhan Bhavan after he finished filing his nomination papers as an independent candidate.

About his agenda, Mr Bajaj wanted India’s GDP to grow at 9-10%. Services and industry should log 12% per annum, he said. “The proposal to be a Rajya Sabha candidate came as a surprise to me. I am 67 years old and my son and other family members are handling business responsibilities very well and I think this is the right time to be a RS member instead of waiting till I am 80 years old,” he said.

Mr Bajaj hastened to add: “I am not a politician. I am not against anybody. Sonia Gandhi, Shivraj Patil, Murli Deora, Prithviraj Chavan are all my friends,” he said.