New Delhi, Aug 19: Former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy was on Tuesday declared as the united Opposition parties’ candidate for the Vice-Presidential election scheduled on September 9 — an exercise described by Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge as an “ideological battle”.
“We are going to file the nomination on August 21,” said Kharge at a media briefing, adding that a strategy meeting of the Opposition parties will be held at the Central Hall of Parliament on Wednesday. Kharge said that all the Opposition members agreed that the election is like an “ideological battle” and we must field a candidate for it. Introducing Reddy as a “pro-poor and champion of economic and social cause”, Kharge said he represents the values which reflect our freedom struggle and on which our Constitution and democracy are based.
“Today, these values are under assault, and this is the reason that the Opposition decided to contest this ideological battle unitedly,” he said. Reddy, who has practised law in Andhra Pradesh and served as the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, was appointed as a Supreme Court judge in January 2007 and retired in July 2011.
He is pitted against the NDA’s VP candidate and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, whose candidature was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President J.P. Nadda on August 12.
The announcement of the Opposition parties’ VP candidate coincided with an NDA meeting during which PM Modi appealed to all MPs, including those in the Opposition, to elect Radhakrishan unanimously.
The Vice Presidential election was necessitated by the mid-term resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who vacated the post citing medical reasons. However, his departure has sparked widespread speculation of underlying tensions between him and the government.
The VP is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. With a clear numerical advantage in Parliament, the NDA holds sufficient strength to ensure the victory of its chosen candidate. The Vice President also serves as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, making the post politically significant.
IANS