The INDIA opposition bloc on Tuesday has chosen Justice (retired) B Sudershan Reddy, former Supreme Court judge and the first Lokayukta of Goa, as its candidate for the September 9 Vice Presidential election.
He will be running against the NDA's candidate, Maharashtra Governor and BJP veteran CP Radhakrishnan, for the second-highest constitutional position in the country. Born in the Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh, B Sudershan Reddy began his legal career as an advocate in 1971, practicing in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
He was appointed as a High Court judge in 1995 and subsequently became the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in 2005. In January 2007, he was appointed to the Supreme Court, where he remained until his retirement in July 2011, continuing his illustrious career. Following this, he also served as the first Lokayukta of Goa.
The decision to nominate Reddy, announced by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, followed a series of discussions among Opposition leaders to find a name that all parties within the bloc could support. Sources indicate that other names considered included former ISRO scientist Mylswamy Annadurai and author Tushar Gandhi, who is the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
In terms of parliamentary strength, the NDA holds a clear advantage in the Vice Presidential election. The Vice President is elected by an electoral college that includes members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The current electoral college, accounting for vacancies, has 782 members.
A candidate requires at least 392 votes to win. With 293 seats in the Lok Sabha and 133 in the Rajya Sabha, the NDA has 426 seats overall. Given this numerical edge, CP Radhakrishnan, the NDA candidate, appears to be in a strong position to win with ease. Only if a sizable portion of NDA members supported the opposition's candidate—which is regarded as extremely unlikely—could an unexpected result occur.
In order to avoid giving the BJP a landslide victory, the opposition decided to put up a candidate. The INDIA bloc wants to show its unity and take advantage of the opportunity to attack the government on issues like purported election irregularities by forcing a contest, even one with a smaller number of candidates.
A political subplot has also emerged with the choice of candidates. The BJP had previously put its ally, the DMK, in a difficult position by nominating a candidate from Tamil Nadu. Now, the BJP's key ally in Andhra Pradesh, the TDP, faces a similar dilemma as the Opposition has nominated a prominent figure from the state. Similarly, the YSRCP, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by K Chandrashekar Rao, will now have to decide whether to support the NDA's candidate or the jurist from Andhra Pradesh.
Also Read: PM Modi seeks Opposition support for CP Radhakrishnan as VP
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