I will be everybody's President, says Pranab Mukherjee

Here is an edited transcript.

Q: How do you feel?

A: Of course, I feel satisfied and delighted. And I am particularly happy that those who committed, I mean the political parties who do not belong to our party or our formation - some of them extended their support to me and unscrupulously adhered to their commitment and ensured that each and every member of the electoral colleague, belonging to their party, they vote for it.

That normally doesn't happen but I appreciate and I consider this as a great reward to my long stay in public life. That I have been able to get the support, love and affection of political establishments, cutting across the parties and lines and also that understanding which is essential and which helps a political activist to carry on his activities and programmes and business.

Q: Your sister Annapurna Banerjee yesterday was very, very tearful and your cousins and your relatives in Birbhum were very proud, they were very tearful. Do you feel that someone like you who grew up in Mirati in Birbhum, today you are the Rashtrapati, you are the President, has it been an incredible journey?

A: That you people have to qualify that whether the journey is credible or incredible. But I do feel, sometimes I feel, for instance when I filed my nomination paper suddenly the picture of my mother's face came and she was highly politically sensitive and conscious and naturally because her husband, my father, was in politics from 1920 and like any other housewives in those days whose husbands are freedom fighters or political activists, their lifestyle is divided between inside jail and outside jail. When outside jail they did not stay at home, they would do other political activities. I thought of her (mother) because suddenly it came to my mind that what would have been her comment when she would have got to know that I am elected the President. A small incidence came to my mind.

When I was appointed the finance minister in 1982, then her first reaction - my parents were still alive then and my elder brothers and sisters, we used to stay together at my elder sister Annapurna Devi's home. Her (mother) first comment was that you people are enjoying but his work will increase. He will be more busy, he hardly gets any time right now. I think now she would have thought that my work will increase much more, though practically it isn't like that. Her perception was like that.