New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy has been named the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Tuesday, describing the contest as an “ideological battle.”
Reddy, who earlier served as the first Lokayukta of Goa, is currently on the Board of Trustees of the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre in Hyderabad. He will file his nomination on August 21.
“All INDIA bloc parties have unanimously agreed on a common candidate. I am happy that the Opposition is united on one name—it is a big achievement for democracy,” Kharge said.
He added that whenever democracy and the Constitution are “under attack,” Opposition forces must stand together. Calling Reddy one of India’s most “distinguished and progressive jurists,” Kharge highlighted his long judicial career, which included serving as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, and judge of the Supreme Court.
“He has consistently upheld social, economic and political justice, often ruling in favour of the poor while protecting the Constitution and fundamental rights,” Kharge said. “He reflects the values of the freedom movement and those on which our Constitution and democracy are built. These values are under assault, and we are resolved to fight for them.”
TMC leader Derek O’Brien confirmed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had recently exited the INDIA bloc, will also back Reddy in the polls.
On the other hand, the BJP-led NDA has fielded Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, a veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background, as its Vice-Presidential candidate.
