India News

M Venkaiah Naidu elected Vice President

Published

9 years ago

August 5, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ruling NDA’s candidate M Venkaiah Naidu was elected Vice President of India with 516 votes out of 785 votes polled. Opposition’s candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi got 244 votes.

As Vice President, Naidu also becomes the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where BJP on Thursday overtook the Congress as the single largest party with 58 seats. The Congress has 57.

The voting began at 10 am Saturday and went on till 5 pm in the evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NDA’s vice presidential candidate Venkaiah Naidu and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is yet to give up his Lok Sabha membership, were among the first to cast their ballot.

Voting ended with 771 out of 785 votes polled, with a poll percentage of 98.21%. There were 14 MPs absent from voting; 2 from BJP, 2 from INC, 2 from IUML, 4 from TMC, 1 from NCP; 1 from PMK & 2 Independent. BJP MPs Sanwarlal Jat and Vijay Goel could not vote in the Vice-Presidential Election because they are hospitalised, reported PTI.

As per the norms, Members of both Houses of Parliament vote in the vice-presidential election through secret ballot and no whip is allowed. Members of Parliament marked their choice in the election with special pens.

The total strength of the two Houses is 790, but there are two vacancies in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. BJP MP in Lok Sabha Chhedi Paswan is barred from casting vote following a judicial pronouncement.

While Naidu had the support of the NDA parties along with AIADMK, TRS and YSRCP, Opposition candidate, former Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi was backed by MPs belonging to the Congress, RJD, JD(U), NCP, Left and other smaller parties.

In the 545-member Lok Sabha, the BJP has 281 members. The NDA led by BJP, has 338 members. In the 243-member Rajya Sabha, the BJP is now the single largest party with 58 members, overtaking the Congress which has 57.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Janata Dal (United) which had supported NDA nominee Ramnath Kovind for the post of president, had decided to back opposition nominee Gandhi. The JD(U) broke ties with ‘mahagathbandhan’ and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a new government in Bihar, but decided to vote for Gandhi.

The term of the present incumbent Hamid Ansari, who has held the post for two consecutive terms, is coming to an end on 10 August.

All you need to know about India’s 13th Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu

Born July 1, 1949 in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, Venkaiah Naidu lost his mother when he was 18 months old. His father, too, passed away early and he was raised by his maternal uncles. Naidu, showed early signs of his leadership skills by emerging as the students’ union president.

Naidu came to into spotlight for his prominent role in Jai Andhra movement of 1972. In 1974, Naidu joined the protest against the imposition of emergency and became the Andhra Pradesh convenor of Jayaprakash Narayan led Chhatra Sangarsh Samiti. He was also imprisoned during this phase.

He joined the Janata Party in 1977 and subsequently the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1983. Naidu became the youngest national president of BJP at the age of 52 in 2002.

Naidu was elected to the Lok Sabha twice from the Udaygiri constituency (Nellore) in 1978 and 1983.

In 1998, Naidu was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka and since then he continues to be a member of the Upper house being re-elected thrice (twice from Karnataka and once from Rajasthan).

Naidu held the Rural Development portfolio in Vajpayee government and three ministerial positions in Narendra Modi government including the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

He is one of the foremost admirers of the Prime Minister and has coined the phrase “MODI: Making of Developed India”.

Known for coining witty acronyms, Naidu did so recently with the initials of APJ Abdul Kalam when he said APJAK stands for “Anything is possible with Just Attitude and Karma”. The other acronyms he came up with are –

MODI – Modifier of Developed India

EVM – Every Vote Modi

YOUNG – You Owe U and National Greatness

Congress had recently indicated that Naidu had influenced the Telangana government to exempt daughter Deepa Venkat’s NGO Swarna Bharat Trust from paying charges amounting to more than Rs 2 crore. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also claimed that Telangana government placed the order to buy vehicles from Harsha Toyota, owned by Venkaiah Naidu’s son Harshvardhan Naidu, “in contravention of rules, and without even floating a tender”.

Ramesh also raised the decade old issue of allotment of land by the then Madhya Pradesh government to KTMT trust of which Naidu was the chairman. The Supreme Court on April 6, 2011 quashed the allotment of 20 acres of land made to KTMT trust.

However, Naidu refuted all the charges calling them politically motivated.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1501940923848{border-top-width: 20px !important;background-color: #a2b1bf !important;}”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Positions held by M Venkaiah Naidu –

1973–74 : President, Students Union, Andhra University
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 B.J.P.
1988–93 : President, Andhra Pradesh State B.J.P.
1993–September 2000 : National General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party
Secretary, B.J.P. Parliamentary Board
Secretary, B.J.P. Central Election Committee
Spokesperson of the B.J.P.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Gandhi Parivar vs Sangh Parivar, Revanth Reddy’s remark sparks BJP attack

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks contrasting the Gandhi Parivar with the Sangh Parivar triggered a BJP response accusing Congress of prioritising the Gandhi family.

Published

20 mins ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks comparing the Gandhi Parivar and Sangh Parivar have triggered a political exchange, with the BJP hitting back at the Congress leader.

Speaking in Kerala on Friday, Mr Reddy described the contest over India’s future as a fight between the two “parivars”. He said the Gandhi family had made sacrifices for the country while accusing the Sangh Parivar of attempting to divide India on the basis of religion, caste, region and language.

What Revanth Reddy said

Mr Reddy cited Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi while speaking about what he described as sacrifices made by the Gandhi family.

He also referred to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, saying they had given up positions, power and high office.

The Telangana Chief Minister said he had no remaining personal political ambitions and described his objective as working towards a Congress-led government at the Centre with Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.

Mr Reddy also appealed to people to stand with the Gandhi Parivar and oppose the Sangh Parivar. He described the latter as a threat to India’s democracy.

BJP hits back

The BJP responded to Mr Reddy’s remarks on Saturday.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the Telangana Chief Minister’s comments amounted to an admission that Congress’s objective was to bring the Gandhi family back to power.

He also linked Mr Reddy’s remarks to the ongoing political debate around “vote chori”, the Election Commission, the Constitution and democracy, arguing that the Congress’s focus was instead on the Gandhi family.

The exchange adds to the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with Mr Reddy presenting the Gandhi Parivar and Sangh Parivar as opposing forces in India’s political future, while the BJP has interpreted his remarks as evidence of Congress’s focus on the Gandhi family.

India News

India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

Published

7 hours ago

September 26, 2026

APNLive Desk

India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

India News

Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

Published

20 hours ago

September 25, 2026

APNLive Desk

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.