Vice Presidential election 2017:
Union minister Venkaiah Naidu has been announced as the NDA candidate for the poll to face UPA pick Gopal Krishna Gandhi. Venkaiah’s name was proposed by Union Minister JP Nadda and the decision was taken after PM Narendra Modi chaired the BJP Parliamentary Board meet on Monday. After the meeting, a press meet was organized. During which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah officially announced the decision. Announcing the name of Naidu for the vice presidential post, Shah said that he will file his nomination on Tuesday at 11 am. He is also expected to resign from his post. Before the announcement of Naidu’s name, there were speculation that the saffron party may pick a candidate from a region where it has been traditionally weak so as to send out a positive message, as per PTI. Its chief Amit Shah had identified states like Kerala, Telangana and West Bengal as the new growth region for the party. Now the decision has been finalised.
At present, Venkaiah Naidu is serving as Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs and was an active participant in party’s key decisions. Soon after Shah announced his name, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulates Naidu and called it a “matter of great happiness”. Talking to news agency ANI, the MP CM said that “a farmer’s son will become the next Vice President, Venkaiah ji is a dedicated person.” Andhra Pradesh Chieh Minister Chandrababu Naidu also expressed happiness over the decision. The CM said that “experienced and veteran Venkaiah Naidu is suitable for the role of vice president in all ways” to ANI.
Earlier, on July 11, 18 opposition parties had decided to field former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as their joint candidate for the post of vice president. The development was confirmed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.