Grateful to be a citizen candidate: Gopalkrishna Gandhi

CHENNAI: Hours after the opposition parties named Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their candidate for vice president, the former West Bengal governor said he was grateful to be a citizen candidate.

"I look at myself as a citizen candidate, a citizen who is weighed down by anxieties and fears about our collective future in times of terror, violence and counter-violence," Gandhi told TOI on Wednesday.

At the same time, he wanted to hold on to certain basic principles, he said."As a citizen, I want to hold on firm to my faith in the values of our Constitution, our democratic institution, an independent judiciary, free press and finally our people," he added.

A retired IAS officer and diplomat, Gandhi is now a professor of history and politics at Haryana-based Ashoka University.

Asked what his agenda would be if he got elected as vice-president, Gandhi said, "I should not contemplate or speculate about it now. It's too early. I don't want to do it now."

Modi discusses NDA's VP nominee
PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday held a meeting with his core group of ministers to discuss several issues, including the names to pick the NDA nominee to take on the opposition's Gopal Krishna Gandhi in the vice-presidential polls.Sources said a few names were discussed with the government keen on getting some one who can effectively run the Rajya Sabha as the chairman of the House where the NDA lacks majority.

Kovind unlikely to meet Sena chief
NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind is unlikely to visit Matoshree during his day trip to Mumbai on July 15 for a meeting with BJP legislators. Kovind skipping the visit to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's home may widen the rift between BJP and its Maharashtra ally.The allies are already at loggerheads with the Sena taking a confrontational position on many issues.