Justice B Sudershan Reddy stresses on saving Constitution, & ask MPs to vote in VP elections after listening to their inner conscience

INDIA bloc’s Vice Presidential candidate, Justice (Retd) B Sudershan Reddy, visited the Samajwadi Party (SP) headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, where he was warmly welcomed by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav with a traditional shawl.

In his address, Justice Reddy emphasised the importance of constitutional values and the role of opposition in safeguarding democracy.

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He sought support from all MPs of Uttar Pradesh and asked them to vote after listening to their inner conscience.

“The office of the Vice President is not a political one, it is a Constitutional one,” he asserted, underscoring his commitment to uphold the spirit and sanctity of the Constitution.

Showing humility and openness, Justice Reddy candidly admitted that while he has learned much from socialist icons like Dr Ram Manohar Lohia and Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav), he has yet to master Hindi. “I have tried to learn and speak a little, but I haven’t been able to give speeches in Hindi,” he said.

Justice Reddy expressed gratitude to the INDIA alliance for placing their trust in him. “I am deeply thankful to the opposition alliance for selecting me. I know many who are not formally in the INDIA bloc, yet they are extending their support. But without Akhilesh Yadav, this journey wouldn’t have been possible,” he said, highlighting Yadav’s significant role in rallying support from Uttar Pradesh.

Sharing his recent political engagements, he mentioned meeting former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, and regular interactions with MPs. “I am here to seek support from Uttar Pradesh. You don’t need me to explain why that matters,” he added.

The retired Supreme Court judge avoided making any comment on his alleged soft corner towards Naxalism. “Similar questions were put before me during the last four days, and I already made my stand clear,” he replied. He also refused to comment on the Centre’s proposed bill on removing PM, CMs, and ministers after being arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges. “The issue is already before the JPC, and it is not right for me to make any comment,” he said.

Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes automatic removal of elected officials – Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and Union Ministers – if they are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges. The bill, along with the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Akhilesh Yadav, echoing confidence, said, “In today’s political scenario, where we are fighting for justice, who could be a better candidate than a justice himself? This is not just about victory or defeat—it’s about conscience. I am confident that people will vote by listening to their inner voice.”

Earlier in the day, Justice Reddy was given a grand welcome at the airport by Congress and SP workers. Congress state president Ajay Rai and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari were among the key leaders who greeted him. He then paid tributes to national leaders at the Congress state office before arriving at the SP headquarters.

With a combined 42 MPs from the SP and Congress in the Lok Sabha from UP and growing support across party lines, the INDIA alliance is aiming for a symbolic and strategic win in this historic vice presidential election.

Later, Justice Reddy had a long one-on-one discussion with the MPs during lunch at a hotel. He will fly back to Delhi this evening.