Former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy named Opposition’s candidate for vice president

The Opposition’s INDIA bloc on Tuesday announced former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the upcoming vice-presidential election, setting the stage for a contest against the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s nominee, C P Radhakrishnan.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge presided over a meeting of the alliance’s parliamentary floor leaders earlier in the day, after which the decision was finalised.

The announcement comes after the NDA declared Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader with a strong RSS background, as its nominee. The vice-presidential post became vacant following the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar last month. The election is scheduled for September 9, with August 21 set as the last date for filing nominations.


On Reddy’s nomination, Kharge said, "B. Sudershan Reddy is one of India's most distinguished and progressive jurists. He has had a long and eminent legal career, including as judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court and Judge of the Supreme Court. He has been a consistent and courageous champion of social, economic and political justice. He is a poor man and many judgments if you read, will know that how he favored the poor people and also protected the Constitution and fundamental rights."