Venkaiah Naidu gets 'emotional' as he quits BJP, hopes to see PM Narendra Modi win power in 2019

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New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Venkaiah Naidu, who filed his nomination papers for the vice-presidential election on Tuesday, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allies for extending their support to his candidature. 

"I am grateful to PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, BJP stalwarts and other parties for reposing faith and confidence in me by nominating for the vice-president post. I am looking forward to doing justice to the nomination," Naidu said while addressing a press conference after filing his nomination papers today. 

"I am honoured to be nominated for the post of vice-president. I have been actively engaged in public life for over four decades. The Office of Vice President is a different profile, has its functional norms. Hope I will be able to do justice," the BJP veteran said. 

Adding further, he said, "India's strength and beauty lie in Parliamentary democratic system. It will be my endeavour to strengthen that further. I have resigned from Council of Ministers and have conveyed this to the Prime Minister and sent a letter too last night."

Recalling his association with the party, an emotional Naidu said, "I lost my mother at a very young age and treated my party as my mother and they brought me up to this level. Its painful to leave the party. I am feeling emotional at this juncture."

"I wanted to see PM Narendra Modi come back to power in 2019 and after that, I wanted to resign from active politics. But destiny has other plans for me," the senior BJP leader said in his concluding remark. 

Earlier today, Naidu filed his nomination for the upcoming Vice-Presidential polls. He was accompanied by PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, veteran leader LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and other NDA leaders.

The BJP’s parliamentary board on Monday picked Naidu as the party’s nominee for the post of Vice-President. Naidu will face Opposition candidate Gopalkrishan Gandhi in the race to become the next Vice-President of India.

As a prominent leader of the BJP, Naidu has also served as its national president from 2002 to 2004.

The Vice President election will be held on August 5. 

Legislators from both the Houses of Parliament, including the nominated members will be eligible to vote in the election.