My mother's name deliberately dragged in, says President's son

"For the last 10 years, I have been working for the party, I was in Congress Seva Dal. I have also worked in the Amravati Zila Congress Committee...why can't I be considered on my merit?" Shekhawat told NDTV.

Shekhawat rejected the allegation that he was given a ticket because of being the son of the President of India [ Images ]. "Certainly not...I am an entity. Amravati has been our place. My parents have been into politics for the last 40-45 years. That is why I will be working for the people of Amravati," he said.

Asked if his nomination as a candidate would not diminish the President's post in some way, he said, "I believe that my mother's name is deliberately being dragged into...It has been done in Amravati. I know the source."

Rajendra said he did not understand why so much hullabaloo was going on about his nomination. To a question about the decision of sitting Congress Member of Legislative Assembly Sunil Deshmukh to contest as an independent from the seat, Shekhawat recalled his father too was denied a ticket from Amravati despite being a sitting MLA but he did not question the high command's decision then.

"...I think in the case of Sunilji also, what I would like to say is that the party has given so much. We should abide by whatever decision is taken by the party," Shekhawat said.