Opposition names former SC judge Sudarshan Reddy as Vice-Presidential candidate

The Opposition bloc on Aug 19 formally announced that former Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudarshan Reddy will be its joint candidate for the upcoming Vice Presidential election, challenging the ruling NDA’s nominee CP Radhakrishnan.

The move comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged opposition parties to extend support to the NDA choice in the interest of consensus, a request that was firmly rejected.

Justice Reddy, who served on the Supreme Court between 2005 and 2011, is known for his judgments on constitutional matters and his outspoken views on transparency in governance.

Opposition leaders said his nomination underscores the bloc’s intent to field candidates with independent credentials outside conventional party politics.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, announcing the decision, described Reddy as a figure who “commands respect across political and social spectrums.”

The BJP, meanwhile, has expressed confidence in the victory of CP Radhakrishnan, a senior leader from Tamil Nadu who is currently serving as Governor of Jharkhand.

Radhakrishnan, a two-time MP from Coimbatore, is seen as a loyal party veteran with deep ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Prime Minister Modi has personally appealed to opposition MPs to support him, stressing that a consensus choice would strengthen democratic traditions.

With the BJP and its allies holding a comfortable majority in the electoral college of MPs that elects the Vice President, analysts suggest the outcome is tilted in the NDA’s favor.

However, the Opposition’s decision to put up a candidate is being seen as a symbolic attempt to register dissent and demonstrate unity among its constituents, including Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Left parties, and others.

The Vice President of India, elected for a five-year term, serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The election is scheduled for later this month, with the new Vice President expected to take office shortly after the tenure of the incumbent concludes.

The contest between Radhakrishnan and Justice Reddy reflects the sharpening divide between the NDA and Opposition ahead of crucial assembly elections later this year.

Both camps are expected to use the campaign to consolidate support within Parliament and send out political signals beyond the Vice Presidential race itself.