Venkaiah Naidu Urges Youth to Embrace Ideology-Based Politics

Former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday urged young people to enter public life with conviction and commitment to ideology, saying politics should be guided by principles rather than opportunism.

Speaking at the launch of Venkaiah Nayakudu, a biography chronicling his journey from Udayagiri to the office of the Vice-President, authored by senior journalist Maa Sarma, Mr. Naidu said political leaders should uphold dignity and civility in public life.

He said elected representatives wishing to switch political parties should first resign from the posts they secured through their original party. Suggesting that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution be suitably amended to facilitate such a process, he said the issue deserved a nationwide debate.

Recalling his long association with Visakhapatnam, Mr. Naidu described the city as the place that shaped his political career. He said he studied law at Andhra University to fulfil his late mother’s wish and joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at the age of 16, laying the foundation for his public life. Of the many positions he held, serving as the BJP national president gave him the greatest satisfaction, he said.

Reflecting on his tenure as Vice-President, Mr. Naidu said presiding over the Rajya Sabha during the passage of the legislation abrogating Article 370 remained one of the defining moments of his public life.

Calling upon young people to take up politics, he stressed the importance of discipline, hard work and effective time management. Warning against the culture of shortcuts, he remarked, “Instant food means constant disease,” and urged the youth to build their careers through sustained effort. Describing himself as “retired but not tired,” Mr. Naidu said interacting with young people continued to energise him as he travelled across the country sharing his experiences.