She replaced M Venkaiah Naidu who resigned after his nomination as the NDA's vice presidential candidate
Smriti Irani and Venkaiah Naidu
Textiles Minister Smriti Irani yesterday assumed additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, replacing M Venkaiah Naidu who resigned following his nomination as NDA's vice presidential candidate. The government also announced that Union Minister for Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar will serve as the new Urban Development Minister. Both the ministries were earlier held by Naidu.
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'Destiny decided'
NDA vice presidential candidate M Venkaiah Naidu yesterday said he wanted to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi come back to power in 2019 and then join social service but "destiny decided otherwise".
Naidu, who has quit the BJP, suggested he was keen to strengthen Modi's "great leadership" and rejected reports that he wished to continue as minister.
"I had already made up my mind. I told my colleagues also that I want to see Modi come back again in 2019 and then I will call it off and join social service... but destiny decided otherwise. I have agreed with whatever decision was taken finally after discussion," Naidu added.
Having been "brought up" by the party after he lost his mother at a very young age, it was "very painful" to leave the organisation, he said, adding that he treated it like his mother.
That is why he turned emotional yesterday during the BJP parliamentary board meeting which finalised his candidature, Naidu told reporters.
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