Venkaiah Naidu is NDA's vice-presidential candidate: BJP leader resigns as Union minister, to file nomination on Tuesday

BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu, who has been nominated as the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling NDA alliance, resigned from his post as Union minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, reports said.

Naidu’s resignation was confirmed by The Hindu as well as the News18 on twitter.

#BREAKING -- Venkaiah Naidu resigns as Urban Development Minister. pic.twitter.com/7UWSOzt4Kf

— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 17, 2017

Just in- @MVenkaiahNaidu resigns as Union minister

— The Hindu (@the_hindu) July 17, 2017

Sixty-eight-year-old Naidu was in-charge of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Urban Poverty Alleviation as well as Information & Broadcasting ministries.

Naidu is among the most experienced leaders in the BJP , and is pitted against  Opposition’s Gopalkrishna Gandhi , in the 2017 vice-presidential polls. The BJP leader

Earlier speaking about Naidu’s candidature in the vice-presidential elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that it was Naidu’s experience that made him ‘a fitting candidate’ to become a Rajya Sabha chairperson.

“I know @MVenkaiahNaidu Garu for years. Have always admired his hard work and tenacity. A fitting candidate for the office of vice-president,” the prime minister had tweeted, soon after the announcement of the decision of BJP’s Parliamentary Board, the highest decision-making body of the party. Modi reportedly also attended the meeting.

“Naidu started as a student leader and rose through the ranks and all NDA allies support his candidature,” said BJP president Amit Shah while announcing his candidacy on Monday. Shah added that Naidu is respected as a minister across the country and party lines.

Naidu will file his nomination on Tuesday at 11 am.

With agency inputs