OUR WISE MAN KNEW MODI’S MIND
In this column on 11 June 2017, we had reported that in the sanctum of the saffron parivar, a view is emerging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may “pick one of his top ministers— Rajnath Singh (Home), Arun Jaitley (Finance & Defence), Sushma Swaraj (External Affairs), Nitin Gadkari (Highways) and M. Venkaiah Naidu (Information & Broadcasting and Urban Development)—either for the post of President or Vice-President.” We had based our report on the information coming from a “wise man in the parivar”. Well, we must thank this wise man, whose information has turned out to be hundred per cent correct as PM Modi has picked Venkaiah Naidu (68) as the NDA’s candidate for the Vice-President’s post. Naidu’s native place is Chavatapalem, in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district. Since 1998, he has been a Member of the House of Elders from Karnataka. However, in 2016, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Naidu was not expecting the gift of being nominated for the Vice-Presidential race at all. One of Naidu’s close aides in confidence told us that he was thinking of getting a Governorship in a big state, as he has not been maintaining a perfect health. Well, strange are the ways of life. Naidu was the president of the BJP from 2002 to 2004. Earlier, he was the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government. No one doubts Naidu’s success in the VicePresidential poll against the united opposition’s candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, on 5 August. A Vice-President is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Naidu has earlier worked as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. So, he is wellversed with the rules and administration. The Rajya Sabha members are hopeful of witnessing good humour in the House from a witty Naidu, as he is a master of oneliners. When Naidu ran into some opposition leaders in the corridors of Parliament, after the BJP’s top leadership nominated him for the Vice-President’s election, they greeted him, “Welcome ‘Up-Rashtrapatiji.” True to his style, a smiling Naidu shot back: “Please call me Usha-Pati.” Asked why, he explained: “Because Usha is my wife.”