CM Rekha Gupta attends book launch on Venkaiah Naidu's life
Synopsis
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta attended the launch of 'Janpriya Neta Venkaiah Naidu: Udayagiri Se Uparashtrapati Tak', a biography of former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, alongside Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President Nitin Nabin on 18 August 2026.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta attended the launch of a biography on former Vice President M.
Venkaiah Naidu on 18 August 2026 .
The book is titled 'Janpriya Neta Venkaiah Naidu: Udayagiri Se Uparashtrapati Tak' , tracing Naidu's life from his birthplace in Andhra Pradesh to the Vice Presidency.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President Nitin Nabin also attended the event.
Naidu served as India's 13th Vice President from 2017 to 2022 and is a four-decade veteran of BJP politics.
A book tracing the journey of a farmer's son from Udayagiri to the second-highest constitutional office in India was launched on Tuesday, 18 August 2026 — and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was among the senior BJP leaders who turned out to honour the occasion.
The volume, titled 'Janpriya Neta Venkaiah Naidu: Udayagiri Se Uparashtrapati Tak' — loosely translated as 'People's Leader Venkaiah Naidu: From Udayagiri to Vice President' — chronicles the public life of former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, who served as India's 13th Vice President from 2017 to 2022. The title itself maps the arc: Udayagiri, the small town in Andhra Pradesh where Naidu was born, to the Rajya Sabha chair he held for five years.
Who shared the stage
The launch was graced by two of the BJP's most prominent faces: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President Nitin Nabin. The presence of the Defence Minister and the party's national chief alongside the Delhi CM signals the weight the party places on Naidu's legacy within its own organisational memory.
Venkaiah Naidu: a career that spanned four decades
M. Venkaiah Naidu is one of the BJP's longest-serving mass leaders — a former party president, four-time Rajya Sabha member, and Union Minister across multiple portfolios including Urban Development, Housing, and Information & Broadcasting. Known for his sharp wit, rapid-fire oratory, and accessible demeanour, he earned the 'Janpriya' (people's beloved) tag across party lines. His tenure as Vice President was marked by firm conduct of Rajya Sabha proceedings and frequent public engagement on constitutional values. A book of this kind — released with senior party figures present — is as much a political tribute as a biographical record.
Point of View
The Union Defence Minister, and the BJP National President at a single book launch underscores how the party curates its institutional memory around senior leaders who have moved out of active executive roles. Venkaiah Naidu's biography arriving in 2026 — four years after his Vice Presidential term ended — suggests a deliberate effort to keep his legacy visible within party and public discourse. For the BJP, such events serve a dual function: honouring a veteran and reinforcing the narrative of a party with deep organisational roots across regions, particularly Andhra Pradesh. The 'Udayagiri to Uparashtrapati' framing is itself a political message about merit and mobility within the saffron ecosystem.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the book 'Janpriya Neta Venkaiah Naidu: Udayagiri Se Uparashtrapati Tak' about?
The book chronicles the public life of former Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, tracing his journey from Udayagiri in Andhra Pradesh to serving as India's 13th Vice President from 2017 to 2022.
Who attended the Venkaiah Naidu book launch on 18 August 2026?
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP National President Nitin Nabin attended the book launch.
Who is M. Venkaiah Naidu?
M. Venkaiah Naidu is a senior BJP leader who served as India's 13th Vice President from 2017 to 2022. He previously served as a Union Minister in portfolios including Urban Development and Information & Broadcasting, and was also BJP national president.
Where is Udayagiri, mentioned in the book's title?
Udayagiri is a town in Andhra Pradesh and the birthplace of M. Venkaiah Naidu. The book's title uses it to represent his humble origins before rising to the Vice Presidency.
Why is Rekha Gupta called 'Janpriya Neta' in the book title?
'Janpriya Neta' refers to M. Venkaiah Naidu, not Rekha Gupta. The phrase means 'people's beloved leader' in Hindi and reflects Naidu's reputation for accessible, grassroots-connected politics.
