Lost 49 deposits,game for 50th poll

“I lost my deposit every time I contested. So what? I am not money-minded.”

Like his wife,his son too calls it a meaningless exercise.

Godse has contested the Lok Sabha polls 18 times,from Pune,Khed,Baramati,and the Assembly elections 19 times,from Pune Cantonment,Kasba Peth and Shivajinagar. He has also tried his luck in Dhanakwadi gram panchayat and Pune’s municipal elections from Balajinagar and Dhankawadi gaonthan ward. His highest election score so far is 13,000 votes,against Sharad Pawar in Baramati in 1996,the lowest 25 in the 2007 civic elections.

He is related to Nathuram Godse but believes in Gandhian philosophy. “I follow the Mahatma’s ideals. He was a unique human being,” declares the advocate,who practises in Bombay High Court and in Pune court. “I hate those who kill others; I have no regard for Nathuram.”

Godse has twin objectives in contesting elections. “By being in the fray,I get to know the actual pressures of contesting an election. And it gives me an opportunity to understand citizens’ problems at different places and different times,” says Godse,a bicycle buff,who has travelled as far as to Sri Lanka in 1972. His job,says Godse,does not end with campaigning. “The real show begins after the elections as I follow up with various authorities the grievances of citizens gleaned during the campaigning and try to get justice for them.”

Godse first filed nomination papers in 1989,from three Lok Sabha constituencies – Pune,Khed and Baramati. “I was 40 then and was full of vitality. I thought I would get a considerable number of votes,but got less than 5,000 votes each in all the three seats,” recalls Godse who has worked with the Pune Zilla Parishad for 20 years.

His campaigning strategy involves moving around on a bicyle or a scooter with one associate and distributing pamphlets. “We chat up people and discuss their problems. Citizens mainly talk about lack of basic amenities.”