Wife's Rs 10 made Shekhawat Vice President

New Delhi, June 11: A mere contribution of Rs 10 from his wife 54 years back to contest an election started a journey for Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat which culminated in him adorning the second highest office in the country today.

Mr Shekhawat, who contested his first election to the Rajasthan Assembly in 1952, had taken Rs ten from his wife Suraj Kanwar to meet the election expenses which was Rs 37 at that time.

''I had no money at that time. My wife somehow arranged Rs 10 and gave it to me for contesting elections while the rest was all borne by my followers and supporters. Till date, whenever my wife gets annoyed with me, she reminds me that it was because of her Rs 10 contribution that I am now the Vice President,'' Mr Shekhawat revealed to the UNI.

Contrasting the election scenario then and now, Mr Shekhawat said at that time fighting an election was easy and requird less money as the party workers used to do all the campaigning, but now crores of Rupees were spent on election campaigning as everything has been commercialised in this era of electronic media.

Also, during those days people casted votes on the basis of the contestant's enthusiasm and motivation to serve the people instead of caste or community which has now become a norm, the Vice President said.

''I won my first election only by reciting the inspiring poetery written by Bhushan. I was young and very shy with no experience of public speaking. So I just used to recite those patriotic poems with great fervour and people voted for me as they felt that I was very enthusiastic,'' he reminicised and wondered whether anyone could win polls just by reciting poetry in the today's scenario.

However, after that first election, there was no looking back for Mr Shekhawat who emerged not only a powerful orator but also his development worksvsaw him winning a record 13 times from his constitutency, which included eleven times to the Assembly, once to the Rajya Sabha and finally as the Vice President of India.

The dedicated work of Mr Shekhawat, son of a poor farmer, resulted in him becoming the Chief Minister of Rajasthan trice. He contested elections from various parts of the states and won it comfortably.

UNI