In an intelligent move to put ruling NDA alliance into a tight spot, the INDIA bloc today announced former Supreme Court Judge Sudershan Reddy as the Opposition's candidate for the upcoming Vice-Presidential elections turning the battle between the RSS and the non-RSS.

The coming election on 9 September would also be seen and popularly perceived between Justice Reddy-a rank professional whose profession has been to dispense justice and Radhakrishnan- a RSS member whose loyalty and commitment towards democracy remains suspect in popular eyes.

Congress president and leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, made the announcement at a news meet. Besides being a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Reddy was the first Lokayukta of Goa.

"All INDIA bloc parties has decided to have a common candidate, the decision has been taken unanimously. I am happy that all opposition parties have agreed to one name. It is a big achievement for democracy," Kharge said.

NDA Candidate Radhakrishnan

The BJP had on Sunday picked Maharashtra governor and former party stalwart from Tamil Nadu, C.P. Radhakrishnan, as the NDA’s candidate, apparently targeting Assembly polls in the key southern state next year.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh is steering the campaign in support of Radhakrishnan.

The Opposition parties had begun serious consultations on Monday to zero in on a vice-presidential candidate with the broadest appeal, not just among themselves but also among non-aligned parties.

Singh had called up Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin in the hope of not only shoring up the NDA’s adequate numbers in the electoral college comprising members of both Houses of Parliament, including the nominated ones, but also driving a wedge in the Opposition camp by playing the Tamil card. By all indications, Stalin did not commit to supporting Maharashtra governor Radhakrishnan.

The INDIA bloc parties had two rounds of discussion on the prospective candidate and several names, including that of DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, were considered.

Justice Reddy’s Profile

Born in July 1946, Justice Reddy was appointed as a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 2, 1995 and was later appointed as the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court on December 5, 2005.

Reddy became a Supreme Court judge on January 12, 2007 and retired on July 8, 2011.

He was enrolled as an advocate in Hyderabad with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh on December 27, 1971.

The former top court judge worked as a government pleader in the high court during 1988-90 and also as additional standing counsel for Central government for six months during 1990. He was a legal adviser and standing counsel for Osmania University.

Justice Reddy became the first Lokayukta of Goa in March 2013 but resigned within seven months citing personal reasons.

He is also in the Board of Trustees of International Arbitration and Mediation Centre, Hyderabad.

An Interesting Election

While hours after the INDIA Opposition bloc’s announcement of Justice Reddy being its candidate for the coming election, the key BJP ally TDP said there is "no ambiguity" regarding its choice.

The Opposition had hoped its choice of the Andhra Pradesh-born judge will put the N Chandrababu Naidu-led party in a spot, as language is an emotive issue in the southern state. Whether this tactic yields dividends for the INDIA bloc will be seen in the days to come, but the TDP has sent a message of NDA unity for now.

"No ambiguity - only warmth, respect, and resolve. The NDA stands united," Mr Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, who is TDP's general secretary and Andhra Pradesh minister, said in a post on X. Mr Lokesh recently met NDA's choice CP Radhakrishnan and congratulated him.

But sources said that TDP supremo Naidu is going to come under lot of pressure and since a party whip is not issued in vice presidential polls, many TDP MPs are likely to come under popular pressure and therefore it is too early to predict the final outcome.

Besides all the accomplishments to his credit, Reddy is bound to have more appeal to those MPs who have a conscience and ability to think and decide.

(Author is senior journalist and think-tanker.)