Vice Presidential Race Heats Up: PM Modi Backs Radhakrishnan, Opposition Rallies Behind Sudarshan Reddy
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The contest for the Vice Presidential election has intensified. The INDIA bloc has announced former judge B. Sudarshan Reddy as its candidate, while the NDA nominee C.P. Radhakrishnan filed his nomination today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers, and Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states were present during the nomination. PM Modi himself signed as the chief proposer for Radhakrishnan’s candidature.
Radhakrishnan’s Nomination
C.P. Radhakrishnan filed a total of four sets of nomination papers, each with 20 proposers and 20 seconders. The first set included PM Modi as the lead proposer, while other sets bore the signatures of Union Ministers and NDA MPs.
Who is B. Sudarshan Reddy?
The INDIA bloc has fielded former Supreme Court judge B. Sudarshan Reddy as its Vice Presidential candidate. His name was finalized during a meeting of opposition parties at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence.
Sudarshan Reddy hails from Telangana. He has served as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and as the Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court before retiring from the Supreme Court in 2011. Recently, he also headed the review committee for the caste survey conducted by the Telangana government. He is set to file his nomination on August 21.
Political Maneuvering Begins
With candidates declared, political lobbying has begun. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has started reaching out to opposition parties on behalf of the NDA, while C.P. Radhakrishnan has already met NDA leaders to seek support.
Vice Presidential Election Schedule
Notification Issued: 7 August 2025 (Thursday)
Last Date for Nominations: 21 August 2025 (Thursday)
Scrutiny of Nominations: 22 August 2025 (Friday)
Last Date for Withdrawal: 25 August 2025 (Monday)
Polling (if required): 9 September 2025 (Tuesday), 10 AM – 5 PM
Counting of Votes: 9 September 2025 (Tuesday)