Former Gauhati HC Chief Justice B. Sudershan Reddy is Opposition’s Vice-President pick

New Delhi, August 19: The united Opposition, on Tuesday, named former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the September 9 Vice-Presidential election, which Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called an “ideological battle.”

“We are going to file the nomination on August 21,” said Kharge at a press briefing, adding that a strategy meeting of the Opposition parties will be held at the Central Hall of Parliament on Wednesday.

Introducing Reddy as a “pro-poor and champion of economic and social cause”, Kharge said he represents the values which reflect our freedom struggle and on which our Constitution and democracy are based.

“Today, these values are under assault, and this is the reason that the Opposition decided to contest this ideological battle unitedly,” he said.

Reddy, who has practised law in Andhra Pradesh and served as the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, was appointed as a Supreme Court judge in January 2007 and retired in July 2011.

He is pitted against the NDA’s VP candidate and Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, whose candidature was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President J.P. Nadda on August 12.

The announcement of the Opposition parties’ VP candidate coincided with an NDA meeting during which PM Modi appealed to all MPs, including those in the Opposition, to elect Radhakrishan unanimously.

The Vice Presidential election was necessitated by the mid-term resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, who vacated the post citing medical reasons.

The VP is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. With a clear numerical advantage in Parliament, the NDA holds sufficient strength to ensure the victory of its chosen candidate.

The Vice President also serves as the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, making the post politically significant.

IANS