M Venkaiah Naidu had to give up active politics before he filed his nomination as NDA's vice president nominee on Tuesday morning. But the veteran BJP leader's one wish will remain unfulfilled -- he wanted to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi return to power in 2019 before calling it a day.
For emotional Naidu, the destiny won and former party president from Andhra Pradesh had to "withdraw" from the BJP to contest for the constitutional post.
"I had told my colleagues that I want to see Prime Minister Modi come back again in 2019 and then I will call it off and join social service. But destiny decided otherwise. Finally after discussion, I have agreed. I have withdrawn myself from party, do not belong to BJP now," Naidu said at his farewell press conference after filling the nomination for vice president election. He had resigned from the union cabinet last night after BJP chief Amit Shah announced his candidature for the VP election.
The former union minister vowed to uphold traditions and standards set up by the predecessors and maintain dignity that a constitutional post desires. "Office of Vice President is a different profile, has its functional norms. I hope I will be able to do justice," Naidu stressed. Playing down reports that he was reluctant to get out of the government, Naidu thanked Modi and Shah for bestowing honour by declaring him the NDA candidate to fight the poll against opposition's Gopal Krishna Gandhi. With numbers on the NDA side in the two Houses of parliament, Naidu is set to become the second BJP leader after Bhairon Singh Sekhawat to become VP. The election will be held on August 5 to find the replacement for Hamid Ansari whose tenure ends on August 10.
Naidu said India's beauty and strength lay in its parliamentary democratic system and that he would strive to strengthen it further. The vice president is also chairman of Rajya Sabha. The son of a farmer from Nellore district of AP recalled his humble beggining and equated the BJP with his mother whom he lost at an early age. He owed his journey from Nellore to Delhi to the party but clarified that "I am above any party now". He stated that he will remain as a Rajya Sabha MP.
For emotional Naidu, the destiny won and former party president from Andhra Pradesh had to "withdraw" from the BJP to contest for the constitutional post.
"I had told my colleagues that I want to see Prime Minister Modi come back again in 2019 and then I will call it off and join social service. But destiny decided otherwise. Finally after discussion, I have agreed. I have withdrawn myself from party, do not belong to BJP now," Naidu said at his farewell press conference after filling the nomination for vice president election. He had resigned from the union cabinet last night after BJP chief Amit Shah announced his candidature for the VP election.
The former union minister vowed to uphold traditions and standards set up by the predecessors and maintain dignity that a constitutional post desires. "Office of Vice President is a different profile, has its functional norms. I hope I will be able to do justice," Naidu stressed. Playing down reports that he was reluctant to get out of the government, Naidu thanked Modi and Shah for bestowing honour by declaring him the NDA candidate to fight the poll against opposition's Gopal Krishna Gandhi. With numbers on the NDA side in the two Houses of parliament, Naidu is set to become the second BJP leader after Bhairon Singh Sekhawat to become VP. The election will be held on August 5 to find the replacement for Hamid Ansari whose tenure ends on August 10.
Naidu said India's beauty and strength lay in its parliamentary democratic system and that he would strive to strengthen it further. The vice president is also chairman of Rajya Sabha. The son of a farmer from Nellore district of AP recalled his humble beggining and equated the BJP with his mother whom he lost at an early age. He owed his journey from Nellore to Delhi to the party but clarified that "I am above any party now". He stated that he will remain as a Rajya Sabha MP.