Venkaiah Naidu urges youth to embrace politics based on ideology

Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu released his biography, Venkaiah Nayakudu, at a function in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. Chintakayala Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao, BJP State President PVN Madhav and Lok Sabha MP M. Sribharat are seen. | Photo credit: IN PARADISE

Former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday appealed to the youth to enter politics with conviction and urged them to pursue “politics based on ideology” rather than opportunism.

He was speaking at the launch of Venkaiah Nayakudu, a biographical account of his journey from Udayagiri to Vice President written by senior journalist Maa Sarma at a function at a resort in Visakhapatnam.

“If someone has to change the party, it should be only after resigning from the posts secured by that party,” Mr. Naidu said. He suggested that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution should be relaxed to facilitate such a move and said the issue required a national debate. He also urged political leaders to behave with dignity and civility in public discourse.

Mr Naidu said Visakhapatnam held a special place in his life, describing it as “the city primarily responsible for my growth”, where he found his footing as a student leader and laid the foundations of his political career. He recalled that he studied law at Andhra University to fulfill his late mother’s wishes and joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at the age of 16. Of all the positions he held, he said serving as BJP national president gave him the most satisfaction.

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

He urged young people to join politics and stressed the importance of discipline and time management. “Instant food means constant disease,” he said, warning against a culture of shortcuts. “The youth of today is the future of tomorrow,” he said, adding that he continues to travel across the country to share his experiences and instill confidence among the young generation. Describing himself as “retired but not tired”, Mr Naidu said interacting with young people continued to energize him.

The event was attended by Chintakayala Assembly Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, MP M. Sribharat, TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao, BJP State President PVN Madhav and MLAs Ganta Srinivasa Rao, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, Velagapudu, Raiduu PGVRachrishna (Ganababu) and Ch. Vamsikrishna Srinivas Yadav.

Published – 12 Jul 2026 23:09 IST