My age not a hurdle to becoming President: Shekawat

With his name also doing the rounds for the Presidential post, 84-year-old Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat feels his age is not a hurdle for the top job.

"My age will not pose any hurdle," he told reporters, parrying a direct reply on whether he was in the race for Presidential election next year.

The Vice President was talking to mediapersons on his way back home from a week-long visit to two Caribbean nations -- Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

As Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shekhawat, associated for long with the Bharatiya Janata Party before his election as Vice President, has earned praise for his conduct of proceedings in the House.

He is also being mentioned in political circles as a contender in the Presidential race next year.

The Vice President's remarks that his age would not pose any hurdle for the presidential post came when he was asked by a scribe whether he now aimed at scaling another height (the post of President).

To a question if he went to the gym to keep himself fit, the Vice President said gyms were meant for those who were physically unfit.

"See, my schedule has been so hectic in the last four-five days," he said, driving home the point that he was very fit physically.