In an interview to Home TV, to be broadcast today, the CEC spoke extensively about his tenure at the helm of election commission and about his future plans after resignation.
Seshan said he was quitting office early because having completed the UP and J&K elections he did not want to stay on doing nothing at all but instead wanted to be free to do other things. My job is done. My work is over. Between that date and the end of my tenure in December there are no elections. he said.
Nothing at all and I have had a long innings. I have several irons in the fire, so I shall pick up on of those irons, he said. On his future plans, Seshan said he was not looking for a job but looking for work. With this criteria he said he would be interested in both the President's job and the Vice-President's job, although these were remote possibilities.
I think the President's or and the Vice-President's job would provide the work I want and they would meet my criteria. I would be tempted to consider them seriously, the CEC said.
But he ruled out taking any other public office like ambassadorship or a governorship or even a cabinet ministership.
Seshan said in politics the only job worth aspiring to was the prime ministership but it was not available. I suppose amongst the jobs available in the country it is easily the prime job, he said.
He said his original intention was to step down immediately after the May Lok Sabha elections but Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had persuaded him to stay on.
He also said he was not averse to the idea of becoming the next Secretary General of the United Nations.
Even a cat may look at a king. I certainly would not mind a look at the job of the UN Secretary General, he said.
But the CEC said he would not ask the government to put his name forward but added, if the government would forward my name itself I would not back out.
He also claimed that in 1991-92 he was offered the deputy secretary generalship of the United Nations but refused to specify who made the offer.
He also said that he had not yet discussed his future with the Prime Minister and he was keen to do so and expected that Gowda would in fact invite him to talk about it and I certainly would be grateful for the opportunity.
Seshan said in the last five and half years as CEC he had offered to resign almost 25 times.
