Former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called upon young people to enter politics with conviction, urging them to pursue “ideology-based politics” rather than opportunism.

He was speaking at the launch of Venkaiah Nayakudu, a biographical account of his journey from Udayagiri to the Vice-Presidency, written by senior journalist Maa Sarma, at a function held at a resort in Visakhapatnam.

“If one has to switch parties, it should be only after resigning from the posts secured through that party,” Mr. Naidu said. He suggested that the provisions of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution be relaxed to facilitate such a move and said the issue warranted a nationwide debate. He also called upon political leaders to conduct themselves with dignity and maintain civility in public discourse.

Mr. Naidu said Visakhapatnam held a special place in his life, describing it as “the city primarily responsible for my growth”, where he found his footing as a student leader and laid the foundation for his political career. He recalled studying law at Andhra University in fulfilment of his late mother’s wish and joining the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at the age of 16. Of all the positions he had held, he said serving as the BJP national president gave him the greatest satisfaction.

Reflecting on his tenure as Vice-President, Mr. Naidu said presiding over the Rajya Sabha during the passage of the legislation abrogating Article 370 remained one of the most memorable moments of his public life.

Urging young people to take to politics, he emphasised the importance of discipline and time management. “Instant food means constant disease,” he said, cautioning against the culture of shortcuts. “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s future,” he said, adding that he continued to travel across the country to share his experiences and inspire confidence among the younger generation. Describing himself as “retired but not tired”, Mr. Naidu said interacting with young people continued to energise him.

The event was attended by Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, MP M. Sribharat, TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao, BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav, and MLAs Ganta Srinivasa Rao, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, P.G.V.R. Naidu (Ganababu), and Ch. Vamsikrishna Srinivas Yadav.