I am nobody's running mate: Jindal

Indian-American Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal, whose name has been surfaced as a potential running mate to Republican presidential nominee John McCain, has said no one from the party has made any contact with him to become vice presidential candidate.

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He said no one from McCain's camp has visited him and his wife at the Goevrnor's Mansion to discuss the issue.

'They have not at all,' Jindal told Fox News when asked whether anyone from McCain camp has contacted him to become the running mate.

Jindal's name has been surfaced as a potential running mate to Senator McCain but the Indian American head of a state has persistently ruled it out.

Jindal said his focus was on getting his state back on its feet after the debilitating Katrina.

"We have talked to Senator McCain several times about health care, the economy, Louisiana and the country. But, again, I love being governor. We've been here about six months. I have got a lot of work to do to continue to change our state," the Jindal, 37, said.

Several times in the past Jindal sought to play down the idea that he is somehow in the running for the number two spot on the Republican ticket.

Some commentators including radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh believe that Jindal has not only excellent conservative credentials but also will be an advantage on the ticket on account of age. Jindal is about half as old as Senator McCain.

But some Republican strategists have argued that Jindal's age -- 37 -- instead of being an advantage will actually accentuate the problem for Senator McCain.

McCain and his Democratic rival Barack Obama are seriously vetting candidates to be their running mates, a process that is highly secretive and entrusted to a very small core group of trusted friends and loyalists.

Senator McCain is expected to announce his running mate after Obama comes up with his, either at the Democratic Convention next month or shortly before that.

Jindal has found himself in the national spotlight after conservative talk show host Limbaugh floated the idea of Jindal running for vice-president, going on to describe him as the next Ronald Reagan, the darling of the conservatives within the Grand Old Party.