Former Supreme Court judge Sudershan Reddy has been announced as the Opposition’s candidate for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election. He will contest against the NDA’s nominee, CP Radhakrishnan. The election, scheduled for September 9, is expected to set the stage for a keen political contest as both camps rally support ahead of the vote.
Reddy is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India and the first Lokayukta of Goa.
The announcement was made by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday.
“All INDIA bloc parties has decided to have a common candidate, the decision has been taken unanimously. I am happy that all opposition parties have agreed to one name. It is a big achievement for democracy,” Kharge said.
Who is Sudershan Reddy?
Justice Sudarshan Reddy, born in July 1946, began his legal career after enrolling as an advocate with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh on December 27, 1971. He served as a government pleader in the Andhra Pradesh High Court between 1988 and 1990, and briefly as additional standing counsel for the Central government in 1990. He was also legal adviser and standing counsel for Osmania University.
Reddy was appointed a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 2, 1995, and went on to become chief justice of the Gauhati High Court on December 5, 2005. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on January 12, 2007, and served until his retirement on July 8, 2011.
In March 2013, he took charge as the first Lokayukta of Goa but stepped down within seven months, citing personal reasons.
Who will Sudershan Reddy face in V-P elections?
Last week, the ruling NDA announced 67-year-old Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader, as their V-P pick. He is currently the Maharashtra governor and hails from Tamil Nadu.
With the BJP-led NDA enjoying a comfortable majority in the electoral college comprising MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Radhakrishnan’s win is a certainty amid indications from the opposition INDIA bloc that it will field its own candidate and force a contest.
Elections to pick the new VP will be held on September 9, and the last date for filing of nominations is August 21. The vacancy arose after the incumbent, Jagdeep Dhankhar, announced a sudden resignation on July 21, citing health concerns.
The Parliamentary Board includes party president JP Nadda, union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Sarbanand Sonowal, former Karnataka chief minister BS Yedyurappa, BL Santhosh, national general secretary (organisation), OBC cell chief K Laxman, Sudha Yadav, Iqbal Singh Lalpura, and Satyanarayan Jatiya.
