Thanking the 18 Opposition parties that have backed him for Vice-President, former West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi on Tuesday said he was an “ordinary citizen” who aspired to narrow the growing gulf between people and politics in India today.

“I am not here to oppose any individual, much less the senior gentleman nominated by the NDA (M Venkaiah Naidu). I am not here to oppose any political party or formation. I am here to place before all honourable MPs, the aspirations of the common citizens of India. One, there the absence of a sense of that this politics is mine. And [that] this political system does not represent me. People’s faith in politics itself has diminished, almost collapsed, and this I want to tell all political parties, including those who have supported me…I would like to see a revival of faith,” the former bureaucrat told reporters after filing his nomination.

“I am not here to oppose, but to unite,” Gandhi said, adding that “We are living in times of division. A whole force is in action mode to divide our country and that spells danger for our future as a country, as a civilisation.”

On Shiv Sena’s allegation that he “supported terrorism”, as he sought mercy for Bombay blast accused Yakub Memon, Gandhi said he was principally opposed to capital punishment and death penalty.

“Mahatma Gandhi opposed death penalty. He fell to assassin bullets, but his two sons appealed to the government of the day, saying that Nathuram Godse should not be hanged, Narayan Apte should not be hanged, because Gandhiji was opposed to death sentence...I belong to that school of thought,” he said, adding that he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar, both of whom opposed death penalty.

“I have also written to Pakistan President for Kulbhushanji (Kulbhushan Jadhav),” he said, adding that he believes that “death penalty and capital punishment belong to the medieval ages”.

Gandhi also welcomed support from Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday, but said that even if he won this post, it wouldn’t be a great feat. “Winning positions or losing is not important today. What is more important is being true to your words, thoughts and your heart.”

Earlier, Gandhi filed his nomination papers in the presence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Also present were other Opposition leaders, including JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, NCP’s Tariq Anwar and Praful Patel, National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, DMK’s Kanimozhi and Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien.