logo
INDIA bloc picks ex-Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as Vice-Presidential candidate after leadership huddle

INDIA bloc picks ex-Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as Vice-Presidential candidate after leadership huddle

Leaders of the INDIA bloc Tuesday announced ex-Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as their candidate for the Vice-Presidential election to be held on September 9. The announcement comes after a huddle at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to deliberate on fielding a common candidate.
The BJP-led NDA named Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan as its nominee for the post on Sunday. Radhakrishnan is a former president of the party's Tamil Nadu unit and RSS veteran.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had also reached out to opposition leaders, including Kharge, seeking support for a consensus choice.
The deliberations come against the backdrop of the September 9 election, which was necessitated after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned from the post last month citing health reasons. The last date for filing nominations is August 21.
Last time, the opposition had fielded Margaret Alva, who lost to Dhankhar.
The majority mark is 394 with the combined strength of both houses at 786.
(With PTI inputs)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Birth anniversary of former PM observed
Birth anniversary of former PM observed

The Hindu

time26 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Birth anniversary of former PM observed

Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Minister for Public Works K. Lakshminarayanan and Congress leaders took part in the birth anniversary celebrations of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Puducherry on Wednesday. They garlanded the statue of the late leader and took Sadbhavana pledge to promote unity and harmony in the country. Among the Congress leaders who participated in the event were former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and Member of Parliament and PCC chief V. Vaithilingam. The PCC also organised a separate event at its office to mark the occasion.

Agriculture Minister triggered panic buying of urea, charges BJP chief
Agriculture Minister triggered panic buying of urea, charges BJP chief

The Hindu

time26 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Agriculture Minister triggered panic buying of urea, charges BJP chief

BJP Telangana president N. Ramchander Rao on Wednesday offered to resign from his post if Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao can prove there is a fertilizer shortage in the State. He blamed the Minister for 'prematurely declaring' a lack of stock, which triggered panic buying among farmers leading to black market activity. He likened the situation to a financial panic, calling it a 'run on fertilizer'. At a press conference at the State office, he accused the Congress government of 'mismanagement' and 'inefficiency', alleging that it created an 'artificial scarcity' despite the Centre supplying sufficient quantities. Mr. Rao also challenged Mr. Nageswara Rao to resign if he fails to prove the shortage. Cautioning the State government against launching a campaign against the Centre over the issue, he urged farmers not to be misled by 'false statements'. According to Mr. Rao, 7,250 rakes of urea were supplied to Telangana by IFFCO, KRIBHCO and RCF, with an additional 10,000 metric tonnes allocated through imports at Karaikal Port. He noted that despite global challenges, including the Israel–Iran conflict and disruptions in the Red Sea, the Centre did not hold back on fertilizer supply. He reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government remains committed to farmers' welfare. For the 2025 Rabi season (October 2024–March 2025), the Centre supplied 12.47 lakh metric tonnes of urea against the State's requirement of 9.87 lakh metric tonnes. Of this, the State government sold only 10.43 lakh metric tonnes, while 2.04 lakh metric tonnes remained as opening stock for the Kharif season. For the ongoing Kharif season (up to August 2025), the Centre has already supplied 5.18 lakh metric tonnes out of the required 8.3 lakh metric tonnes. As of now, 7.22 lakh metric tonnes of urea are available in the State. Mr. Rao said that in the Agriculture Minister's own district, 3,200 tonnes more urea were sold this August compared to last year, despite no change in crop area. He questioned whether this excess supply actually reached farmers or was diverted to the black market. He also noted that even when production at the Ramagundam factory was halted due to technical issues, the Centre ensured uninterrupted supply. Highlighting the Centre's support for farmers, Mr. Rao said the Modi government has allocated ₹1.40 lakh crore in fertilizer subsidies, making fertilizers available to farmers at just 10–20% of the actual cost. On the issue of the Vice Presidential candidate, Mr. Rao questioned why the Congress and its allies did not nominate a BC candidate, despite earlier lobbying for one. He urged Congress and INDIA bloc MPs to support NDA's MBC candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan to ensure justice for BCs. Mr. Rao also condemned divisive slogans like 'Marwari Go Back', calling them harmful and unconstitutional. 'We are all Indians, and anyone from any region has the right to live anywhere in the country,' he said, blaming 'Urban Naxal' forces and Congress leaders for encouraging such sentiments.

Tunnel road will be another Yettinahole project: BJP
Tunnel road will be another Yettinahole project: BJP

The Hindu

time26 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Tunnel road will be another Yettinahole project: BJP

The Opposition BJP on Wednesday said the proposed 17-km tunnel road in the city will be 'another Yettinahole project' and urged the Congress government to withdraw it. Speaking on the debate initiated by the Opposition on the halting of development works in the State, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok said the cost of the Yettinahole project has tripled from ₹8,000 crore in 2011 to ₹25,000 crore in 2025. The project was initiated during the tenure of D.V. Sadananda Gowda for catering to the drinking water needs of the drought-prone districts of the southern part of the State. Even after spending ₹25,000 crore on the project, the water has not reached Kolar and other districts, Mr. Ashok said. C.N. Ashwath Narayana (BJP) said that during the S.M. Krishna government, the civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, mortgaged properties and buildings to raise loans. Now, the government has decided to raise ₹8,000 crore loans from Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) by mortgaging government buildings and properties.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store