Former Supreme Court judge and opposition-backed candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy has expressed deep confidence about winning the election for the post of Vice President. He said that if he is elected, he will give top priority to the principles of the Constitution and will play the dignity of the post with fairness, honesty and seriousness like the judicial role. In an interview to Assam Tribune, Reddy said, “If I am elected, I will take concrete steps to maintain the values, ethics and traditions of the Constitution.” It is worth noting that he has also been the Chief Justice of the Guwahati High Court earlier.
Opposition equation and cross-party support
Reddy admitted that the opposition is lagging behind numerically, but he hopes to get cross-party support from various parties and independent MPs. He said that the INDIA alliance has supported him, as well as AAP also promised cooperation after the announcement of his name. He has also contacted the leaders of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He believes that he will get enough support from these states as people recognize his work and dedication. He also clarified that this election is not a “South vs South” battle but it should be based on merits and commitment.
Ideology vs Politics Debate
When questioned about the election being termed as a battle of ideology, Reddy said that he completely believes in the Constitution and he considers himself a “Liberal Democrat”. He clarified that he is not associated with any political party, but is not apolitical either, because the Constitution itself is a political, social and economic document. His thinking is based on the principles of the Constitution and he wants to make it the foundation of his tenure.
Mathematics of numbers and possibilities
There is a 782-member electoral college for the Vice Presidential election, in which at least 392 votes will be required to win. In the current situation, NDA has 293 seats in the Lok Sabha and 133 seats in the Rajya Sabha, that is, they have a clear majority. Due to this, NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan seems to have an upper hand. However, if some NDA MPs vote for the opposition candidate, the picture may change. For Reddy, the support of parties from his home state—TDP (Chandrababu Naidu), YSRCP (Jagan Mohan Reddy) and Bharat Rashtra Samiti (K. Chandrasekhar Rao)—could prove decisive. Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi said Reddy met MPs from the Northeast in Guwahati and tried to garner support.
