Opposition vice-presidential candidate B. Sudershan Reddy arrived in Lucknow on Tuesday to hold deliberations with leaders of the Congress and Samajwadi Party, two key constituents of the INDIA bloc.
Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, was received at the airport by Congress and SP workers waving party flags. Among those welcoming him were UP Congress president Ajay Rai, state in-charge Avinash Pande, and senior leader Pramod Tiwari.
Later in the day, Reddy is expected to address a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.
The upcoming September 9 vice-presidential election is shaping up as a direct contest between ruling NDA nominee C. P. Radhakrishnan and the joint opposition candidate Reddy. The race has been described as a “south versus south” battle, as both contenders hail from southern India. Radhakrishnan is a BJP veteran from Tamil Nadu, while Reddy is a former apex court judge from Telangana.
The poll became necessary following the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar. The opposition has framed the contest as an ideological battle, though the ruling National Democratic Alliance holds a numerical advantage in the electoral college.
Reddy, 79, retired from the Supreme Court in July 2011 and is noted for several landmark judgments, including rulings against the government’s inaction on black money cases and declaring the Chhattisgarh-appointed Salwa Judum unconstitutional.
Radhakrishnan, 67, served two terms as a Lok Sabha member from Coimbatore during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and later led the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
