Venkaiah is BJP Vice-Presidential Pick to face Gandhi: Shah

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Union minister Venkaiah Naidu was on Monday picked by the BJP as its vice-presidential candidate to take on the Opposition’s nominee Gopal Gandhi. “Venkaiah Naidu has a lot of experience. There were other candidates in the fray, but we have chosen him,” BJP president Amit Shah said after a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board made the decision.

Shah also said BJP’s allies in the National Democratic Alliance have welcomed the nomination of Naidu. Even before the official announcement it was speculated in the media that BJP would pick its veep candidate from the South. The names of Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao, Tamil Nadu MP L Ganesan and Kerala’s O Rajagopal were doing the rounds.

But things were reportedly sealed on Sunday evening when Shah called up Naidu and told him he was the party’s choice. Recounting Naidu’s rise through the party’s ranks since he was a junior worker, Shah said, “He has been with the BJP since he was very young. He hails from a farmer’s family and held important organisational posts in the party.”