'Thick-skinned' Nilekani not hurt by Pai's attack

Responding to ex-colleague T V Mohandas Pai’s attack on his credentials as political candidate, UIDAI chairman and co-founder of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani today told the Business Standard that “(It’s) not worth it to react. As Indira Gandhi told Natwar Singh: In politics you need a thick skin.”

YesterdayPai, who is the chairperson of the Board of Manipal Global Education Services Pvt. Ltd, an education services provider to institutions worldwide,claimed that Nilekani has done little for South Bangalore, the constituency from where Nilekani is likely to contest the 2014 Lok SAbha elections.

[caption id=“attachment_1244033” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nandan Nilekani. Reuters[/caption]

“There is deep concern among citizens that we are getting a person imposed from above to be an MP, who has not done grassroots work, not been around, who a particular party is trying to parachute here to be a nominee and fight,” Pai told ET Now on Thursday.

Apart from Pai, Nilekani has also faced flak fromthe Planning Commission, the finance ministry and the lower ranks of the Congress in Karnataka.

Nandan Nilekani has joined the Congress party and will be fielded from south Bangalore. However, it remains to be seen whether he will remain a back-room boy or whether he will be given a leadership role.

Known as a man of ideas, Nilekani has already distributed Unique Identification Numbers or Aadhaar numbers to 53 crore people across India in the last four years.