Justice B Sudershan Reddy to begin VP poll campaign from Lucknow
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New Delhi: Justice (Retd) B. Sudershan Reddy, the INDIA bloc’s candidate for the vice-presidential election, will kick off his nationwide campaign from Lucknow to seek support from Members of Parliament, his aide said on Saturday.
“Justice Reddy’s Lucknow tour is being drafted,” a member of his staff said, adding that visits to other states will follow in order to reach out to the maximum number of MPs.
Reddy has said his priority is to safeguard and defend the Constitution, stressing that he will appeal directly to MPs rather than political parties. “In Parliament, while we see the numbers of parties, the actual voters are individual Members of Parliament. I appeal to each MP to consider my candidature,” he noted.
Referring to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he remarked: “Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu know me well, and I know them too. They haven’t explicitly stated that they’ll support the NDA candidate. They’ve only said that they are part of the NDA and have to go with them. Let’s see what happens.”
Rejecting the view that the September 9 vice-presidential election is symbolic due to the Opposition’s lack of numbers, Reddy said: “I don't think there's anything symbolic about this contest. That's a misunderstanding.”
The 79-year-old former judge has had a distinguished career marked by a progressive approach to justice, a focus on judicial independence, and efforts to expand access to education.
He served in the Supreme Court from January 2007 to July 2011, after holding positions as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court and Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Known for his strong disapproval of policies restricting higher education opportunities for disadvantaged groups, Reddy has consistently advocated inclusivity.
Born on July 8, 1946, in Rangareddy district, Andhra Pradesh, he completed his B.A. and LL.B. before enrolling as an advocate with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh in 1971. He specialized in writ and civil matters in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, where he also served as government pleader from 1988 to 1990. In 1990, he briefly worked as additional standing counsel for the central government before being appointed a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1995 and later elevated as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in 2005.