Latest news with #B.SudershanReddy


The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
BRS in a fix on Vice-President polls
The announcement of Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as the INDIA Bloc candidate for the office of Vice-President of India has apparently left the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) in a fix. The party has all along been maintaining neutral stand on major issues and has refrained from supporting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre or joined hands with the Congress, its principle opponent in the State. In the last Assembly and the Parliament elections, the BRS fought on its own. While the party has drawn a blank in the Lok Sabha elections last year, it still has four members in Rajya Sabha. Of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana, Congress and BJP won eight and the AIMIM one. In the Rajya Sabha, BRS has four members and Congress three. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy invoking the 'Telugu pride' at a press conference on Tuesday evening obviously has pushed the BRS to a corner as regards its support for the Vice-Presidential candidate backed by the NDA and the INDIA Bloc. Mr. Reddy had openly urged Telugu-speaking Parliament members from the TDP, BRS, AIMIM and the YSRCP to back Justice Sudershan Reddy, though the appeal to TDP members appears far fetched as they are part and parcel of the NDA. 'Our leader has thrown a gauntlet at KCR and it is for him to take the call. When he has been speaking about 'sentiment' during the height of the Statehood agitation, the issue of backing a Telugu person should also be a sentiment for him,' a top Congress leader remarked. Sources in the BRS maintained that it is for the party president and former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao to take a call on the elections. 'We have not received any call from either the NDA or the INDIA Bloc to support their nominees,' a top leader told The Hindu. The BRS leadership is in a spot because if it supports the INDIA Bloc candidate it has a lot to answer. In the event of backing the NDA candidate C.P. Radhakrishnan, the party is likely to face flak for ignoring the 'Telugu bidda' sentiment. Either ways, the party is in a piquant situation on how to wriggle out the situation. There is also speculation that the party might stay away from the voting. But, this would give the INDIA Bloc leadership and more particularly the State Congress to launch a tirade against the BRS alleging strategic understanding with the BJP. The next move of the BRS chief would be keenly watched as the nomination process for the VP gets in motion.


Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'No north or south…': B. Sudershan Reddy speaks after being named Opposition Vice Presidential pick
The INDIA bloc Vice-Presidential candidate B. Sudershan Reddy said on Tuesday that there was only one citizenship in the country. Opposition's Vice-Presidential Candidate & former Supreme Court Judge B. Sudershan Reddy being Welcomed by MPs of Opposition Parties at Delhi airport in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. (Hindustan Times) The former Supreme Court justice said that both he and his opponent, NDA candidate CP Radhakrishnan, are Indians, and it doesn't matter if it is North, South, East, or West. "It is the Parliamentarians who elect the Vice President. Political parties may sponsor the candidates. There is only one citizenship in this country. Myself and CP Raadhakrishnan ji are Indian nationals. Whether it is South, North, East, West, nothing matters," Reddy was quoted by ANI as saying. The former judge was announced as the opposition candidate for next month's Vice-Presidential election after a meeting at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence on Tuesday afternoon. The election is scheduled for September 9, and the final date for filing the nomination is August 22.


New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
INDIA bloc VP candidate: Jurist behind many landmark rulings and ex-chairman of Telangana caste census committee
HYDERABAD: The Opposition INDIA bloc on Monday named former Judge of the Supreme Court and the first Lokayukta of Goa, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy as the candidate for the Vice-Presidential election. Justice Reddy's tenure on the Supreme Court Bench included participation in several landmark rulings, notably outlaawing of Salwa Judum, a group of tribal persons mobilised for resistance against Maoists. He was also the ex-chairman of Telangana census committee. Born on July 8, 1946, in Akula Mylaram village, then part of Ibrahimpatnam Taluq (now Kandukur Revenue Mandal, Rangareddy District, Telangana), Justice Reddy rose from humble beginnings in an agricultural family to occupy some of the highest offices in India's judicial system. After completing his law degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad, in 1971, he enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh. He began his legal practice under Shri K. Pratap Reddy, Senior Advocate, and soon gained prominence in writ and civil matters before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. His government assignments included serving as Government Pleader in the High Court (1988–90), where he handled revenue matters, and a brief tenure as Additional Standing Counsel for the Central Government in 1990. Justice Reddy also held several positions in the legal and academic fields, including President of the Andhra Pradesh High Court Advocates Association (1993-94) and Legal Adviser and Standing Counsel for Osmania University.


The Print
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
In INDIA bloc's choice for V-P candidate, a bid to wage ‘ideological battle', put NDA allies in a spot
'This vice presidential contest is an ideological battle. The opposition parties have nominated Shri B. Sudershan Reddy garu as their joint candidate …,' the Opposition said in a statement , '… 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.' New Delhi: Justice B. Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, was announced as the joint Opposition candidate for the upcoming vice-presidential election Tuesday, following a meeting at the residence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who said that the choice reflected a collective resolve to wage an 'ideological battle'. Initially, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a key constituent of the INDIA bloc, desired a Tamil candidate to counter the political dividends that the BJP hopes to reap from Tamil Nadu by fielding Radhakrishnan. However, 'there was a realisation that instead of merely coming across as reactive, the Opposition should exploit the fault lines in the NDA instead', a senior MP told ThePrint. Following the announcement, DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who also attended the meeting debating the V-P choice at Kharge's residence, said the Opposition had picked a face who valued the Constitution of India to fight against a person with a 'Hindutva and RSS background'. 'People who care about this country will definitely vote for Justice Reddy. Just because you (BJP) have a candidate from Tamil Nadu, doesn't mean you care about Tamil Nadu, Tamil language or values of the state. They have not allotted funds; they are imposing Hindi; they are trying to rewrite our history. They have no respect for the people of Tamil Nadu,' she said. Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a key NDA ally, and its rival, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), have already declared their support for Radhakrishnan. Whether the Opposition's move will prompt a rethink in either camp remains to be seen. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs form the electoral college, which currently has 782 Members of Parliament. The V-P candidate will have to cross the halfway mark of 392 to win. In the Lok Sabha, the NDA holds 293 MPs, and the Opposition commands the support of nearly 234 MPs. In the Rajya Sabha, the NDA enjoys the backing of roughly 130 MPs. Among the Telugu parties, the TDP has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha, and the YSRCP has four Lok Sabha MPs and seven Rajya Sabha members. Another Telugu party in Telangana, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, is represented by three MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Kharge, flanked by several top Opposition leaders, described V-P candidate Sudershan Reddy as one of the most distinguished and progressive jurists in India. Before serving as a Supreme Court judge from 2007 to 2011, Justice Reddy served as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in Assam and a judge in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In 2013, appointed Goa's first Lokayukta, Sudershan Reddy stepped down within months, citing personal reasons. Incidentally, Justice Reddy headed the three-member committee constituted by Vice President Hamid Ansari in 2009 under the Judges Inquiry Act to probe allegations against then Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitro Sen after a motion to impeach him was admitted in the Rajya Sabha. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said the Aam Aadmi Party—not formally a part of the INDIA bloc anymore—had lent its support to Justice Reddy. 'It was a unanimous choice,' Kharge told a press conference after the Opposition's meeting. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, whose name was also considered by the Opposition as a potential candidate, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary M.A. Baby, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, and Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav were among those who attended the meeting at Kharge's house. In the 2022 vice presidential election, NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar defeated the Opposition candidate, Margaret Alva, by a margin of 346 votes—the highest since 1997. The TMC, at the time, broke ranks with the Opposition and abstained from voting, accusing the Congress of attempting to impose its decision on allies without any consultations. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Politics marked by paradoxes: Anatomy of BJP's 'Jat dilemma'


The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Who elects India's Vice-President: electors, process, and numbers at a glance
The election to the post of Vice-President of India is conducted under a constitutionally mandated process overseen by the Election Commission. Unlike the Presidential poll, it involves only Members of Parliament as electors, with each carrying a single vote. The elections this year will feature C. P. Radhakrishnan, fielded by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and Justice (Retd.) B. Sudershan Reddy, nominated by the Opposition INDIA bloc. The outcome will be determined by numerical strengths and voting alignments across both Houses of Parliament. Who are the electors in the Vice-Presidential election? The Vice-President is elected by an Electoral College comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, including nominated members. State legislatures play no role in this election. In 2025, the electorate consists of 782 MPs after accounting for vacancies, 543 in the Lok Sabha and 233 elected plus 12 nominated in the Rajya Sabha. Each member's vote carries equal value. What is the process of voting and how are the votes counted? The election is conducted through the system of proportional representation using the single transferable vote, as prescribed under Article 66 of the Constitution. Members cast their votes by secret ballot, indicating preferences among the candidates in order. The election is conducted under the supervision of the Election Commission, which appoints a Returning Officer, typically a senior parliamentary official, to oversee the process. Also Read: ECI notifies Vice-Presidential election; nomination process begins The election is conducted by secret ballot, using the single transferable vote (STV) system of proportional representation. Each MP ranks the candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3, etc). A candidate must secure a majority quota (more than half the total valid votes) to win. If no candidate achieves this on first preferences, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes transferred based on next preferences. This continues until one candidate crosses the threshold. As per Rule 8 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, the poll for the election will be taken in the Parliament House. Who are the candidates in the 2025 Vice Presidential polls? The NDA has nominated C. P. Radhakrishnan, currently Governor of Maharashtra and a senior BJP leader, as its candidate. The INDIA bloc has announced former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as its nominee. How do the numbers stack up between NDA and INDIA bloc? The NDA commands a numerical edge in Parliament with the backing of its coalition parties. Its strength is further bolstered by support from regional parties such as the YSR Congress Party. The INDIA bloc, while united in fielding a joint candidate, faces the challenge of consolidating its diverse members in the voting process. The BJP-led NDA has 423 MPs, with 293 in Lok Sabha and 130 in Rajya Sabha, automatically giving them an edge over the opposition, provided all NDA allies support in favour of Radhakrishnan. When will the election take place? Polling for the Vice-Presidential election will be conducted on September 9, 2025, in Parliament House. Votes will be counted immediately after polling concludes, and the results will be declared the same day by the Returning Officer under the supervision of the Election Commission.