Who is Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, the Opposition’s Vice President candidate?
The Opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday picked former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as its candidate for the Vice President election.
Congress chief and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, made the announcement after a meeting of the alliance leaders at his residence.
"B. Sudarshan Reddy is one of India's most distinguished and progressive jurists. He has had a long and eminent legal career, including as judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court and Judge of the Supreme Court,” Kharge said.
The Congress president further noted that Justice Reddy has been a consistent and courageous champion of social, economic and political justice.
“He is a poor man, and if you read his judgments, you will know how he favoured the poor people and also protected the Constitution and fundamental rights,” he added.
The announcement came amid speculation that the opposition would pick a candidate from the South after the National Democratic Alliance chose senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, C.P. Radhakrishnan, as its candidate.
DMK M.P. Tiruchi Siva was among a few names which did the rounds after a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders at Kharge’s residence on Monday.
The victory of Radhakrishnan is a foregone conclusion in the September 9 election as the ruling alliance enjoys a comfortable majority in the electoral college, which includes members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
"This vice-presidential contest is an ideological battle, and all the opposition parties agreed on this, and this is the reason we have nominated B Sudershan Reddy as the joint candidate,” Kharge said at a press conference after Tuesday’s meeting.
Who is Justice B. Sudershan Reddy?
According to the Supreme Court’s website, Justice Reddy began his legal career as an advocate in Hyderabad in 1971. He worked as a government pleader in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh between 1988 and 1990.
He was the additional standing counsel for the central government for six months in 1990.
In 1995, he was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in December 2005 and later as a judge of the Supreme Court of India in January 2007.
He retired in 2011.
India