In a dramatic political move ahead of the September 9 Vice-Presidential elections, the Opposition on Tuesday announced former Supreme Court judge Justice (Retd) B Sudershan Reddy as its joint candidate to take on the NDA’s C P Radhakrishnan.
“All Opposition parties have unanimously nominated Shri B Sudershan Reddy garu,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge declared, flanked by Sharad Pawar and Derek O’Brien. Calling him a “courageous champion of social, economic and political justice,” Kharge framed the contest as an “ideological battle” to protect the Constitution and democracy.
Justice Reddy, a native of Telangana, has an illustrious judicial career, from serving as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1995, to Chief Justice of Gauhati HC, and finally, as a Supreme Court judge until 2011. Most recently, he headed an independent committee overseeing Telangana’s caste census.
The AAP too has backed his nomination. With Radhakrishnan’s deep political roots in Tamil Nadu, Opposition leaders say Reddy’s candidature will test NDA ally TDP’s stance, making this contest not just about numbers but about ideological clarity.
