The opposition INDIA alliance has named former Supreme Court Judge B Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the Vice President of India election due on September 9.
Announcing the decision after a meeting of opposition parties, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This vice-presidential contest is an ideological battle, and all the opposition parties agreed on this, and this is the reason we have nominated B Sudershan Reddy as the joint candidate…”
The announcement came two days after the ruling NDA alliance named CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate for Vice Presidential elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to all parties, including the Opposition, for unanimous election of C P Radhakrishnan as vice president.
‘Ideological fight’: Opposition lauds INDIA alliance candidate pick for Vice Presidential election
Opposition leaders welcomed the INDIA alliance’s choice of former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as their Vice Presidential candidate, calling it an ideological battle against the BJP’s RSS-backed nominee. DMK’s Kanimozhi stressed that fielding a Tamil Nadu candidate does not prove BJP’s commitment to the state or its values, while Congress MP K Suresh highlighted Reddy’s strong track record and suitability for the post. Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav framed the contest as a fight to “save the Constitution,” and DMK’s T Siva noted that the decision was taken collectively after thorough consideration. Meanwhile CPI leader P Sandosh stated that Sudershan is an “eminent jurist” and align with his judgments align with the “soul of the democracy”.
National Democratic DMK MP Kanimozhi said, “This is an ideological fight. So the Opposition parties came together to select one candidate against the candidate who comes from RSS background. The candidate the Opposition has selected is the one who respects the Constitution…Just because you (BJP) have a candidate from Tamil Nadu, doesn’t mean you care about Tamil Nadu, Tamil language or values of the state…”.
Congress MP K Suresh said, “All Opposition members agreed to the candidature of B. Sudershan Reddy. His track record is very good and suitable for the post of the Vice President of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.”
Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav says, “It will be a great election to save the Constitution. The INDIA alliance will win this election.”
DMK MP T Siva says, “All political party leaders have decided this after analysing every aspect.”
CPI Rajya Sabha leader P Sandosh Kumar said: “The candidature of Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy is not a question of arithmetic or numbers alone. It is a question of ideology and the very soul of our Constitution. Justice Sudarshan Reddy is an eminent jurist whose record in upholding human rights and civil liberties is impeccable. His nomination by the opposition is a strong assertion that the defence of the Constitution and democratic values is non-negotiable.”
He further added: “This election is taking place in unprecedented circumstances created by the shocking resignation of the sitting Vice-President. It is both a warning and an opportunity. It shows clearly that no one is safe under BJP rule—if even a Vice-President, who went out of his way to accommodate the Modi–Shah dispensation, could be humiliated and cast aside in this manner, then what remains for others? The message is clear: anything less than total submission to BJP’s diktats will be punished. Fence-sitters in this election must draw the right lessons. They must abandon hesitation and confusion and come forward to stand firmly in defence of our Constitution by supporting Shri Sudarshan Reddy.”