The journey of a farmer's son to the office of Vice President is the victory of every small farmer contributing to the nation's growth, BJP chief Amit Shah today said as he joined leaders from different parties in congratulating M Venkaiah Naidu on his win in the vice presidential election.
He said Naidu's extensive knowledge and vast experience will be a "great asset" to the office of Vice-President and the Rajya Sabha.
"Heartiest congratulations to Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu ji on winning the Vice-Presidential poll. The journey of Naidu ji, a farmer' son, to the office of Vice President is the victory of every small farmer contributing to nation's growth.
"I am sure @MVenkaiahNaidu ji's extensive knowledge and vast experience will be a great asset to the office of Vice- President & Rajya Sabha," Shah tweeted.
NDA nominee M Venkaiah Naidu was today elected as the next Vice President of India. He secured over two-third votes, leaving opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi far behind.
Terming it as a "great day" for India's democracy, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Venkaiah ji is a leader of great elements. He knows the constitution, knows parliament democracy. Above all, the transformation happening in India is very important".
Naidu will be the 13th person to hold the second highest Constitutional post.
Sharad Yadav, leader of the NDA's ally, JD(U), also congratulated Naidu describing him as an "excellent choice" for the post.
"I convey my heartiest congratulations to Shri Venkaiah Naidu on his election as Vice President of India...He is good human being and a caring person and I am sure that he will prove to be a neutral and balanced Chairman of Rajya Sabha also," Yadav said in a statement.
Congratulating Naidu, Union Minister Smriti Irani tweeted, "Congratulations to Vice-President Elect @MVenkaiahNaidu ji. We are confident his leadership would further enrich the Office of VP".
Her colleague, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore also took to Twitter to congratulated the vice president-elect, saying "In a contest free and fair #VenkaiahNaidu Garu chosen for the chair #VicePresidentialElections. Congrats #India for our newly elected VP sh @MVenkaiahNaidu! A dedicated, visionary leader & a true son of soil! #vicepresidentialelections".
Health Minister J P Nadda said that Naidu had worked for all sections of the society and his experience and wisdom will benefit the nation greatly.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said it is befitting of the aura, stature and the kind of goodwill and popularity that Venkaiah Naidu enjoys across the country.
"That is a pan India personality taking over the office of VP of India. We could not have had a better choice than that," he said.
Asked whether the Upper House will function smoothly, he said, "Certainly so. He is an extremely unassuming person, fair and follows a discipline which he expects others also to follow. It is not that he would be exercising discipline at the cost of any one section of the house.
"He would be fair to all. At the same time we have the confidence that he has the capacity to restore the semblance of the seriousness of working in the house which has gone amiss for quite sometime".
Singh said many of those who might have voted against Naidu because of their party constraint, would have in their heart of heart wished to vote for him.
He said Indian politics is now taking a new turn and it is in a phase where those seated in high offices will have to identify with the lowest of the lowest.
"We have somebody like that in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, we already have a prime minister's office, we have a BJP president and now the VP of India and I think this is the beginning of a new political culture and each political party will be, in times to come, constrained to follow this culture.
"We have to come out of that feudalist mould where dynasties could predominate," he said.
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