Leaders of the INDIA bloc on Tuesday announced former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy as their candidate for the Vice-Presidential election scheduled for September 9. The announcement came after a huddle at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence, where opposition leaders deliberated on fielding a common nominee.
The move pits the Opposition against the BJP-led NDA, which on Sunday named Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan as its candidate. Radhakrishnan, a veteran of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and former president of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, is expected to be backed unanimously by the ruling alliance.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier reached out to opposition leaders, including Kharge, in an attempt to build support for a consensus choice, though the INDIA bloc ultimately decided to field its own nominee.
The election was necessitated after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned last month citing health reasons. The last date for filing nominations is August 21. The contest is expected to be closely watched, though the NDA holds a numerical advantage in the electoral college.
In the last Vice-Presidential election, the Opposition fielded Margaret Alva, who lost to Dhankhar. The majority mark stands at 394 in the combined strength of both Houses of Parliament, which totals 786 members.
Justice Reddy, who also served as the first Lokayukta of Goa, is being projected as a consensus and non-political choice, reflecting the Opposition’s strategy to nominate a respected figure from outside active politics.
