New Delhi: The Opposition’s INDIA bloc has named former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election scheduled on September 9. The announcement was made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at a press conference in the Capital on Monday.
Calling the contest an “ideological battle”, Kharge said the alliance unanimously backed Justice Reddy for his reputation as a progressive jurist and defender of constitutional values. “All opposition parties agreed this is more than just an election — it is a fight to safeguard the idea of India,” Kharge asserted.
Justice Reddy will file his nomination on August 21, ahead of the Election Commission’s deadline.
Born in Rangareddy district of Telangana in 1946, Reddy began his legal career in Hyderabad before rising to become a Permanent Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1995 and later Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in 2005. Elevated to the Supreme Court in 2007, he served until 2011, delivering significant rulings on constitutional, taxation, and transparency issues. He also briefly served as Lokayukta of Goa and recently chaired a Telangana caste census panel.
Reddy now faces a high-profile contest against the NDA nominee C. P. Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra and a veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu. Political observers view the showdown as a clash of ideology versus political experience in the race for the country’s second-highest constitutional office.
In his first remarks after the announcement, Justice Reddy appealed for support across party lines, saying, “I appeal to all parties, including those in the NDA, to support me in this democratic battle.”
The election is expected to be a fiercely contested affair, with both camps pitching their candidates as symbols of contrasting visions for India’s future.
