Never wanted to become VP, wanted to follow Nanaji Deshmukh:

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said he never wanted to become the VP, but take up "constructive work" following the footsteps of Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader and social activist, the late Nanaji Deshmukh.

Naidu said he was in tears the day he was named for the Vice President's post for the simple reason that he would not be able to visit the BJP office or talk to the party workers.

Despite coming from a humble background, the septuagenarian said the party had given him everything, except Prime Ministership, for which he was not suitable.

"My dear friends I must tell you the truth...I never wanted to become VP...," he said at the launch of a book on his two-year term in office titled "Listening, Learning & Leading."
Stating that he even suggested some names for the VP post, Naidu said "After a party parliamentary board meeting, Amit bhai (the then BJP President) said everyone in the party thought I will be the most suitable man. I never expected that. I was in tears, not because I was losing the ministership, which I anyway was going to leave."