Pune: Farmer’s Son Files Nomination for Vice Presidential Election 2025; Youngest Candidate in the Race

Daund, 22nd August 2025: In a remarkable story of grassroots aspiration, a 35-year-old farmer’s son from Daund taluka in Pune has taken a bold step into India’s highest political arena. Umesh Mahadev Mhetre, founder-president of the Maharashtra Lok Congress Party, has filed his nomination for the 2025 Vice Presidential election, making him the youngest candidate in the race.

Mhetre submitted his papers at the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on August 21, the last day for nominations, accompanied by the mandatory ₹15,000 deposit. He filed his candidature before Returning Officers P.C. Modi and Girima Jain, describing the moment as both symbolic and deeply personal.

“I am the son of a farmer. Political parties usually give tickets to wealthy and influential people, but the Constitution gives equal rights to every common citizen. My aim is not to compete with big leaders, but to ensure that ordinary people also get an opportunity,” said Mhetre.

Mhetre’s journey to this nomination has been anything but hurried. He arrived in Delhi on August 9 to purchase his nomination form and spent weeks gathering the required documents to comply with all election rules. Before filing, he followed the long-standing tradition of posing for photographs on the Parliament steps — a gesture usually reserved for elected MPs.

“MPs take pride in posing on the steps of Parliament; I wanted to experience that same pride as a citizen,” he shared.

A Second Attempt at Constitutional Politics:
This is not Mhetre’s first attempt to make his mark in constitutional offices. Previously, he had filed his papers for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, but his nomination was rejected due to the absence of the required ten proposers’ signatures. This time, however, all criteria have been met and his nomination has been accepted.

Why the Vice Presidency Matters?
The Vice President of India, who also serves as the ex officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, is elected by members of both Houses of Parliament. While Mhetre’s candidacy may be largely symbolic given the numbers stacked against him, it underscores one of the key strengths of Indian democracy — the openness of the system to participation by citizens from all walks of life.