“Democracy thrives on cooperation, not confrontation,” Reddy said in message to MPs, who vote on Sept 9 to elect next VP between him and NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan. Congress-led INDIA bloc’s candidate for the Vice President of India, former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy told the MPs on Sunday that voting for him won’t just be about an individual but “a vote for the spirit of India itself”.
“Democracy thrives on cooperation, not confrontation, and my strength lies in listening, mediating, building consensus,” Reddy said in a message to MPs, who will vote on September 9 to elect the next VP between Reddy and the ruling BJP-led NDA’s CP Radhakrishnan, a BJP-RSS veteran who is currently Governor of Maharashtra.
Reddy reminded the MPs that there is no party whip in this election — meaning no binding directions can be issued by parties to their members — and said “love for the country must guide your choice”. “I seek your support not for myself, but for values that define us as a sovereign democratic republic,” he further said. The election, necessitated by Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation, will by extension also choose the next chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, a post held by whoever’s the VP.
Reddy referred to this in his message. “The Rajya Sabha must be a chamber where national interests are upheld above partisan concerns,” he said. He alleged that democratic space in India is shrinking, thus “it’s our duty to defend the republic’s soul”.
“My candidature not personal aspiration but collective effort to protect democratic fabric,” he said. The election is likely to only be symbolic as the NDA has the numbers for CP Radhakrishna to sail though. But the INDIA bloc has sent out a message of Opposition unity through Reddy’s candidature. The next incumbent will get a full five-year term, and not just the half remaining in Dhankhar’s tenure. Dhankhar’s “real” reasons, apart from ill-health cited by him, remain the subject of much mirth and speculation.
