Infosys co-founder and chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) Nandan Nilekani on Friday made public his political ambitions by declaring his plans to join the Congress and contest the coming Lok Sabha elections, if the party fields him.
Speaking to presspersons after addressing students as part of Christ University’s ‘Extraordinary Minds’ programme, Mr. Nilekani said the Congress has been very supportive of his ideas as the head of the UIDAI, which is implementing the Aadhaar scheme.
However, he said it was up to the party to decide from which constituency he would contest.
Mr. Nilekani’s statements come after weeks of speculation over his possible foray into politics and entry into the poll fray of Bangalore South as a Congress candidate.
Best platform
“I have realised politics is the best platform for change in this country. I would like (to use) my 35 years of experience to help people. I don’t believe in sitting back and criticising; I think you need to make a difference yourself,” he said.
When asked about the charges of corruption against the Congress, Mr. Nilekani said Aadhaar is the “world’s largest anti-corruption platform, and I had full support from them (Congress) for this initiative for the four-and-a-half years I worked with them”.
Commenting on the differences in his experiences in the corporate and government sectors, he conceded that “decision making in the public sphere involves a milieu of cacophonic ideas, a roadblock rarely encountered in a corporate setting where the stakeholders are far fewer”.