The BJP-led NDA nominated CP Radhakrishnan for the Vice President elections, while the Congress-led India Bloc chose former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy as their joint candidate. This has intensified the contest, with the India Bloc highlighting it as a battle of ideologies.
The India Bloc, caught in BJP's 'Tamil' strategy through CP Radhakrishnan, made a decisive move by nominating B. Sudarshan, a non-political figure, thereby entangling both the opposition and NDA's allies.
NDA's candidate CP Radhakrishnan hails from Tamil Nadu, whereas India's Bloc candidate B. Sudarshan Reddy is from Ranga Reddy district in Telangana. Although BJP may have a political upper hand, Congress has challenged this dominance by fielding Sudarshan, aimed at reinforcing opposition unity and perplexing NDA's allies.
A Non-Political Candidate Emerges
India's Bloc put its faith in B. Sudarshan, a non-political figure with no ties to any political parties, which has galvanized the opposition. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP's Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav, DMK's Kanimozhi, and TMC's Shatabdi Roy are among the leaders supporting Sudarshan as the joint opposition candidate. Mamata Banerjee's party, inactive in the 2022 Vice President elections, is now firmly on board.
Following consensus on Reddy, support came from parties like AAP and leaders like Mamata. TMC's Derek O'Brien met Arvind Kejriwal to rally support for Sudarshan Reddy. The India Bloc stands in total solidarity, with even AAP, apart from the bloc, backing B. Sudarshan.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh declared that this battle surpasses the Vice President elections, framing it as a conflict between the RSS and the Constitution. According to him, BJP's candidates are RSS-linked while Sudarshan Reddy has remained unaffiliated with any party or ideology. Known for impartiality and integrity, he has a notable judicial career.
Parties Trapped in the Opposition's 'Sudarshan Chakra'
By nominating CP Radhakrishnan, the BJP entangled DMK. Similarly, now with India's Bloc proposing B. Sudarshan, political dilemmas have arisen for leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan Mohan Reddy, and KCR. B. Sudarshan Reddy's origins in what's now Telangana pose additional challenges.
In Andhra Pradesh, TDP rules and YSR Congress stands as the main opposition. In Telangana, BRS opposes. Both BRS and YSR Congress remain independent of NDA and India Bloc, making the roles of parties like TDP, YSR, and KCR crucial in the Vice President elections. BJD also abstains from alliances.
NDA's major ally TDP, led by Andhra's CM Chandrababu Naidu, initially pledged support to NDA's CP Radhakrishnan, but now faces uncertainty. YSR Congress's Jagan Mohan Reddy also confronts similar political dilemmas affected by Telugu candidate Sudarshan.
Nominating B. Sudarshan from Telangana intensifies tensions for BRS, a key opposition party in the state. KCR's BRS, with four MPs in Parliament, remains undecided on support. They previously supported national interest issues, yet the Vice President decision is pending.
BJD's alliance stance remains unclear, yet post-2024 political shifts in Odisha distance them from BJP. The opposition's non-political candidate intensifies their strategic plans alongside breaching NDA's stronghold.
India Bloc Makes a Strategic Move
B. Sudarshan retired from the Supreme Court in 2011, recently leading a committee analyzing a caste survey in Telangana by its Congress government. CP Radhakrishnan's evolution from RSS's school to BJP places ideological differences at the forefront as India Bloc promotes their candidate.
The opposition might frame Sudarshan as a champion of social justice against Radhakrishnan's RSS origins. His engagement in the Telangana caste survey aids this effort, and he's informally helping Karnataka's Congress with similar surveys. As a former Supreme Court judge with strong credentials for social justice, Reddy provides the opposition a narrative to capture Dalit and OBC-supportive parties.
Why the Vice President Election Is Gripping
The Vice President elections see voting by both houses of Parliament, amounting to 782 legislators, with BJP-led NDA currently backed by 418 MPs. NDA exceeds the 392-vote requirement with 26 additional votes, potentially gaining support from a few nominated and independent Rajya Sabha members. In 2022, NDA’s Jagdeep Dhankhar secured 528 votes against Margaret Alva's 182.
The political landscape has shifted. Securing YSRCP's seven Rajya Sabha members isn't easy for NDA, especially with post-2024 severed BJD ties. BSP's influence shrunk from 12 MPs to just one vote, and BJP's alliances with Shiromani Akali Dal and AIADMK have dissolved. With a more robust opposition and B. Sudarshan's Telangana roots in play, the political scene could transform.
