The opposition INDIA bloc on Monday, August 19, named former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as its joint candidate for the upcoming vice-presidential elections scheduled for September 9, setting up a direct contest with the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s nominee, Maharashtra governor C.P. Radhakrishnan.

The election was triggered by the surprise resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, a move many political observers have described as unprecedented in India’s parliamentary history.

Dhankhar, who was elected vice-president in 2022, was expected to remain in office until 2027 but stepped down abruptly and has not made any public appearance since posting his resignation on X. His resignation has been widely perceived as the result of internal pressures within the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA.

Announcing the opposition’s choice, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said at a press conference attended by INDIA bloc leaders, “All Opposition parties have nominated Shri B Sudershan Reddy garu as their joint candidate for the position of the Vice President of India.”

In a joint statement, the bloc added, “The opposition parties have nominated Shri Sudershan Reddy garu as their joint candidate since he reflects fully the values that shaped our country’s freedom movement so profoundly and the values on which our country’s Constitution and democracy have been anchored. All these values are under assault and therefore our collective and determined resolve to fight this election.”

Although the Aam Aadmi Party was absent from the announcement, TMC leader Derek O’Brien clarified that Reddy’s nomination was made with their consent. The bloc’s choice is seen as an effort to draw on Telugu pride, potentially unsettling the Telugu Desam Party’s alignment with the NDA.

The YSR Congress Party, led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has already declared support for the NDA candidate, a decision that now faces fresh scrutiny in Andhra Pradesh given Justice Reddy’s stature.

The electoral college for the vice-presidential election comprises 782 members of both Houses of Parliament, with 394 needed for a majority. The NDA, backed by the YSRCP’s 11 MPs, currently commands 438 votes, while the INDIA bloc accounts for 323. Parties such as the Biju Janata Dal have yet to declare their position, making their support crucial in shaping the final outcome.

Justice Reddy, 79, has long been recognised as a jurist who interpreted the Constitution through the lens of social justice and transformative governance. Born in 1946 into an agricultural family in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana, he studied Arts and Law at Osmania University and began his legal career in 1971.

He served as a government pleader in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, legal advisor to Osmania University, and later rose through the judiciary to become Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in 2005. In 2007, he was elevated to the Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement in 2011.

His post-retirement stint as Goa’s first Lokayukta was cut short when he stepped down after seven months citing personal reasons. Known for his sharp constitutional insights, he is remembered for judgments that emphasized the state’s duty to uplift the poor and marginalized.

Meanwhile, the NDA has rallied behind C.P. Radhakrishnan, a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Coimbatore, former Tamil Nadu BJP president, and long-time Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh member. At an NDA parliamentary party meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally introduced Radhakrishnan to alliance MPs.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju later said, “The floor leaders, MPs of the NDA, warmly welcomed C.P. Radhakrishnan, congratulated him and thanked the Prime Minister. His introduction was given by Prime Minister Modi in the meeting of the NDA Parliamentary Party. Along with the introduction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed that all the MPs of all parties should come together and unanimously support the candidate decided by the NDA for the Vice Presidential election, including the opposition parties.”

Rijiju added that defence minister Rajnath Singh is reaching out to various parties, with the government keen to secure Radhakrishnan’s election unopposed.

“Rajnath Singh is also talking to everyone and we want that we all together support Radhakrishnan unanimously in the election of the Vice President and it will be very useful for our democracy, for our country and also in running the Rajya Sabha,” he said.

With both camps firming up their strategies, the September 9 contest is now framed as not just a numerical battle but an ideological clash, with Justice Reddy’s candidature symbolising constitutional values and social justice, while the NDA pushes for consensus around its nominee.