Sukhdev Raj Kaushal, ChandigarhOn his way back from his hardware shop in Chandigarh's Sector 18, Sukhdev Raj Kaushal dreams of going ‘home’ — to Rashtrapati Bhawan. This is the second time the 71-year-old has filed his nomination for the post of president. The last time, he withdrew his papers "in favour of K.R. Narayanan despite being a hot favourite because political parties had issued a whip in favour of Narayanan". A graduate of the Government Degree College at Khanna in Punjab, Kaushal says the "sorry state of affairs and the fall in moral values" compelled him file his nomination. Anand Bodh Vijay Narayan Pal, KanpurThe presidential election is all about numbers. Pal knows that and is comfortable with it. He is an mathematics professor at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kanpur. But Pal is a professor on a mission: he calls himself a crusader on social issues like caste, power, corruption and others. He is also the president of the All India Eunuch Forum. Rao Jaswant Singh Ram Kumar Shukla, LucknowThis 60-year-old is a veteran at fighting elections. Since 1982, when he first filed his papers against former President Giani Zail Singh, Shukla hasn't missed a single chance at contesting. He claims to have contested "several elections" against A.B. Vajpayee. He sets out on his bicycle every morning, meeting people and asking for their support — even for the presidential polls. Shukla's son Sarvesh, a teacher at a primary school in Mohanlalganj, says his father is a true Gandhian and "stopped wearing his slippers several years back". A science graduate, Shukla worked for several private companies before giving it up for his biggest passion: fighting elections.Manish Sahu Dr. K. Padmarajan, Salem, TNContesting elections is Padmarajan's (pic, right) hobby. That is, when he is not at his tyre retreading shop. Padmarajan, who hails from Kannur in Kerala, has contested 85 elections so far. He has fought against A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, K.R. Narayanan, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh, A.B. Vajpayee, M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa. His ambition is to enter the Guinness Book of records as the person to have contested the highest number of elections. He is just back from Madurai where he contested the Madurai West assembly election held on June 26, 2007. He got 131 votes.
