The INDIA bloc on Tuesday announced former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as its joint candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential elections scheduled for September 9. He will contest against the NDA’s nominee, CP Radhakrishnan.
The decision was declared by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge after a meeting of opposition parties in New Delhi. Justice Reddy is set to file his nomination on August 21.
“This vice-presidential contest is an ideological battle, and all opposition parties are united in support of Justice Reddy’s candidature,” Kharge said, adding that the former judge had been a *“consistent and courageous champion of social, economic and political justice.”
TMC MP Derek O’Brien confirmed that all INDIA bloc partners, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are backing Reddy’s nomination.
Born on July 8, 1946, Justice Reddy began his legal career in Hyderabad in 1971. Over the years, he served as Government Pleader in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, and later as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from 2008 until his retirement in 2011.
Kharge described him as one of India’s “most progressive jurists”, known for judgments that upheld the Constitution, fundamental rights, and the cause of the poor.
The Vice Presidential elections will be held through a secret ballot by an electoral college comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, under the system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote.
According to the Election Commission’s notification, nominations close on August 21, withdrawals are allowed until August 25, and voting as well as counting will take place on September 9.
The post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President on July 21 citing health reasons.
