Justice B. Sudershan Reddy: Decoding INDIA Bloc’s choice for VP contest

The INDIA bloc has framed the contest for Vice President, scheduled for September 9, as an ideological one after it picked former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as its joint candidate. The face-off between INDIA bloc’s Justice Reddy and NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan is being billed as a contest between a constitutional expert and a politician with an RSS background.

Though the numbers are stacked in favour of the ruling NDA, it presents an opportunity for the Opposition to take its ideological battle to a different forum.

Seventy-nine-year-old Justice Reddy began his career as an advocate in Hyderabad before being appointed as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. He later served as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court and was a Judge of the Supreme Court of India from 2007 to 2011. Among his important rulings was the order to disband the militia Salwa Judum.

Announcing his name, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed him one of India’s most distinguished and progressive jurists. “He has been a consistent and courageous champion of social, economic, and political justice. He is a poor man’s judge, and if you read many of his judgments, you will know how he favoured the poor and also protected the Constitution and fundamental rights,” Kharge said.

The contest has provided the Opposition its first opportunity, after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, to come together again for a common cause, despite internal dissensions.

Also read: Will Justice Sudershan Reddy’s candidature force the Telugu parties to break ranks with the NDA?

Unlike last time, when the united Opposition had picked Congress leader Margaret Alva as its candidate against then West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, fielded by the NDA, the INDIA bloc has now gone for a candidate with strong credentials. Previously, as it was a Congress leader, there were several instances of cross-voting.

Now, with a non-political choice, the Opposition may be able to increase its numbers. Both AAP and TMC have backed the choice.

The biggest political move in naming Reddy is also strategic. Reddy belongs to Andhra Pradesh, which is ruled by the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government—a crucial partner in the NDA government at the Centre. His support was key in the formation of the third NDA government. When the NDA named Radhakrishnan, a candidate from poll-bound Tamil Nadu, it put pressure on the DMK government to support a local candidate; something they later clarified they would not do.

In the case of Justice Reddy, there will be pressure not only on the TDP to support a candidate from their state, but also on the non-aligned YSR Congress—which had announced support for the NDA candidate—and the BRS, to clarify their strategies and official stances now that a person from Andhra Pradesh has been nominated.

THE WEEK had reported on August 18 that the INDIA bloc could consider a candidate from Andhra Pradesh or Bihar to exert pressure on NDA allies, TDP and JD(U). As the pool of leaders from Bihar was limited and the assembly polls were nearing, the choice fell on picking a candidate from Andhra Pradesh.

Both candidates are expected to file their nominations on Wednesday, a day before the last date for nomination, August 21.

As the electoral college for the Vice President polls is limited to sitting members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, both candidates will canvass for votes even from the opposite side. Earlier, the government—in a customary move—had approached Opposition parties after announcing their candidate to seek support for a unanimous choice. However, as Radhakrishnan came with an RSS background, the Opposition made it clear they would field a candidate, even though many said the NDA nominee was not seen as an aggressive leader.

After the polling takes place on September 9, the results are likely to be declared the same day.