Every Indian election throws up several independent candidates who, despite the odds stacked against them, take a chance on democracy. Omkar Khandekar reports on one man who has lost two dozen times but refuses to stop trying. Vijayprakash Kondekar is now a familiar face in Shivaji Nagar in the western city of Pune.
For the past two months the 73-year-old has been going around the neighbourhood trying to drum up support for his election campaign.
"I just want to show people that party politics is not the only way in the largest democracy in the world," he says. "I plan to give the country independent candidates like myself. It's the only way we can clean up all the corruption."
Mr Kondekar is contesting a parliamentary seat that will go to the polls in the third phase of voting on 23 April. India's mammoth general election kicked off on 11 April and is taking place over seven stages, with votes being counted on 23 May. Mr Kondekar is running as an independent candidate. One day, he hopes to become prime minister.
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