Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu (born 1 July 1949) is an Indian politician who served as the 13th
vice president of India
The vice president of India (IAST: ) is the deputy to the head of state of the Republic of India, i.e. the president of India. The office of vice president is the second-highest constitutional office after the president and ranks second in the ...
from 2017 to 2022. He is the first Indian vice president born in independent India. He has also served as the
minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation,
Urban Development
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
and
Information and Broadcasting in the
Modi Cabinet.
Naidu has also served as the national president of
Bhartiya Janta Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
from 2002 to 2004. Earlier, he was the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the
Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He took the oath as the vice president of India and the chairman of the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
(ex-officio as the Vice President) on 11 August 2017.
Early life
Venkaiah Naidu was born on 1 July 1949 at Chavatapalem village (near
Venkatachalam) in
Nellore district of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, to Rangaiah Naidu and Ramanamma. He completed his schooling from
Zilla Parshad High School,
Bucchireddy Palem (Nellore), and pursued his bachelor's degree in politics and diplomatic studies from V. R. College, Nellore. Later, he acquired a bachelor's degree in law with specialisation in international law from
Andhra University College of Law
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar College of Law (formerly known as Andhra University College of Law) is one of the constituent colleges of Andhra University established in 1945. This college is recognised as an advanced center in Law by University Grants Co ...
,
Visakhapatnam
, image_alt =
, image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
.
He was a swayamsevak in the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (Hindi for "Sangh family" ...
and joined
ABVP during his college days. He was elected as the president of the students' union of colleges affiliated to the
Andhra University
Andhra University (IAST: ''Āndhra Vișvakalāpariṣhat'') is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926.
History
King Vikram Deo Verma, the Maharaja of Jeypore was one of the biggest do ...
. He came into the spotlight for his prominent role in the
Jai Andhra Movement
Jai Andhra movement is a 1972 political movement in support for the creation of Andhra state in the light of injustices felt by the people of the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema Regions. This was after the HC and SC upheld the Mulki rules in exist ...
of 1972. While
Kakani Venkata Ratnam
Kakani Venkata Ratnam was a former cabinet minister in Andhra Pradesh in India.
Life
He was born in Akunuru, Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh,, where he was educated up to primary level. He learned Sanskrit and Hindi languages from a tuto ...
led the movement from
Vijayawada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
, Naidu took active part in the agitation in Nellore, until it was called off a year later.
In 1974, he became the convener of the anti-corruption
Jayaprakash Narayan
Jayaprakash Narayan (; 11 October 1902 – 8 October 1979), popularly referred to as JP or ''Lok Nayak'' (Hindi for "People's leader"), was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader. He is remembered for le ...
Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti of Andhra Pradesh. He took to the streets in protest against
the Emergency and was imprisoned. From 1977 to 1980, he was president of its youth wing.
Political career
Both as a student leader and political figure, Naidu gained prominence as an orator, who championed the cause of the farmers and the development of backward areas. His oratory skills and political activism propelled his political career and he was elected as an MLA to the
Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly or Andhra Pradesh Śāsana Sabha is the lower house of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature.
The Legislative Assembly consists of 175 members which are elected by adult universal suffrage under the first-pa ...
twice from
Udaygiri constituency in Nellore district in 1978 and 1983. He rose to become one of the most popular leaders of the BJP in Andhra Pradesh.
After serving in various organisational posts of the BJP at the state and national level, he was elected as a member of the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
from
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
in 1998.
He was re-elected twice, in 2004 and 2010, from Karnataka.
He served as the party spokesperson from 1996 to 2000, bringing to the job his panache for quirky alliterations and similes. Unlike most politicians from southern India, Naidu made an effort to master Hindi, going on to address public rallies in northern India.
After the
NDA
NDA may stand for:
Military
* National Defence Academy (India), a military academy in India
* National Defence Act, legislation for organizing and funding Canada's military
* National Defense Academy of Japan, a military academy in Japan
* Nig ...
victory in the 1999 general elections, he became the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the government headed by Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (; 25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian politician who served three terms as the 10th prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months fr ...
.
He was known for aggressively pushing for reforms in rural development and for the many schemes introduced during this period such as the '
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) () is a nationwide plan in India to provide good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages. Of 178,000 (1.7 lakh) habitations with a population of above 500 in the plains and above 250 i ...
'.
President of
BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
(2002–04)
Naidu succeeded
Jana Krishnamurthi
K. Jana Krishnamurthi (24 May 1928 – 25 September 2007) was an Indian political leader who rose to be the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2001. A former Union Law Minister and a member of the Parliament of India, Krish ...
as the National President of the
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
in 2003.
On 28 January 2004, he was elected unopposed for a full three-year term.
After the defeat of the BJP-led
NDA
NDA may stand for:
Military
* National Defence Academy (India), a military academy in India
* National Defence Act, legislation for organizing and funding Canada's military
* National Defense Academy of Japan, a military academy in Japan
* Nig ...
in the 2004 general elections, he resigned from his post on 18 October 2004 and was succeeded by
L. K. Advani
Lal Krishna Advani (born 8 November 1927) is an Indian politician who served as the 7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. Advani is one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a longtime memb ...
.
However, he remained at the forefront of the BJP as one of its senior vice-presidents and an important campaigner. Naidu raised Special Status to Andhra Pradesh issue in Rajya Sabha (as opposition member in February 2014) and demanded special category state status to AP. The Prime Minister agreed to it, though it was not included in the
AP Reorganization Act.
Minister of Urban Affairs
Following the victory of the BJP in the 2014 general elections, he was sworn in as the Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs on 26 May 2014.
Naidu is also involved with the Swarna Bharat Trust, a social service organization founded by him in Nellore.
The trust runs a school for poor, orphaned and special-needs children and imparts self-employment training programs, especially for women and youth.
He was nominated by the BJP on 29 May 2016 for the
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...
from Rajasthan and was elected.
Vice Presidency (2017– 2022)
On 5 July 2016, he concurrently served as Minister of Information and Broadcasting. A year later, he resigned from both offices to contest the
2017 vice presidential election. He won the election to become India's 13th Vice President. He obtained 516 votes against UPA candidate
Gopalkrishna Gandhi
Gopalkrishna Devadas Gandhi (born 22 April 1945) is a former administrator and diplomat who served as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal serving from 2004 to 2009. He is the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji). As a former ...
, who received 244 votes. As his tenure ended, Naidu decided to move back to Hyderabad with his family and declared that he will resume his career in the service of the nation. He was succeeded by
Jagdeep Dhankhar
Jagdeep Dhankhar (born 18 May 1951) is an Indian politician and lawyer, who is serving as the 14th and current vice president of India, since 11 August 2022. Prior to serving in this position, he served as the Governor of West Bengal. He also ...
on 11 August 2022.
Positions held
* 1973–74: President, Students' Union,
Andhra University
Andhra University (IAST: ''Āndhra Vișvakalāpariṣhat'') is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926.
History
King Vikram Deo Verma, the Maharaja of Jeypore was one of the biggest do ...
* 1974: Convener, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Yuvajana Chatra Sangharsha Samithi, Andhra Pradesh
* 1977–80: President, Youth Wings of Janata Party, Andhra Pradesh
* 1978–85: Member,
Legislative Assembly, Andhra Pradesh (2 terms)
* 1980–85: Leader, B.J.P Legislative Party in Andhra Pradesh
* 1985–88: General Secretary, Andhra Pradesh State BJP
* 1988–93: President, Andhra Pradesh State BJP
*
1993 – September 2000: National General Secretary,
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
* Secretary, BJP Parliamentary Board
* Secretary, BJP Central Election Committee
* Spokesperson of the BJP
* Since 1998:
Member, Rajya Sabha from Karnataka (3 terms)
* 30 September 2000 – 1 July 2002:
Minister of Rural Development
* 1 July 2002 – 5 October 2004: National President, Bharatiya Janata Party
* April 2005 - 10 August 2017: National Vice-President, Bharatiya Janata Party.
* 2014–2017:
Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs
* 2016–2017:
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Ministry of I&B) is a ministerial level agency of the Government of India responsible for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws in the areas of information, broadcasting, the ...
* 2017–2022:
Vice President of India
The vice president of India (IAST: ) is the deputy to the head of state of the Republic of India, i.e. the president of India. The office of vice president is the second-highest constitutional office after the president and ranks second in the ...
Awards and honours
State honours
*:
**Commander of the
Order of the Green Crescent of the Comoros (3 August 2019)
Honorary degrees
*
University for Peace
The University for Peace (UPEACE) is an international university and intergovernmental organization. The university was established as a treaty organisation by the United Nations General Assembly in 1980.
Each year, the University for Peace se ...
: Honorary Doctorate (''
Honoris causa
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
'') (8 March 2019)
References
External links
Detailed Profile: Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu
*
Venkaiah Naidu's Indian Express Column
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Naidu, Venkaiah
1949 births
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Andhra Pradesh
Indian Hindus
Members of the Cabinet of India
Janata Party politicians
Living people
Narendra Modi ministry
People from Nellore
Ministers for Information and Broadcasting of India
Presidents of Bharatiya Janata Party
Rajya Sabha members from Karnataka
Rajya Sabha members from Rajasthan
Telugu people
Vice presidents of India