Reddy vs Radhakrishnan: Vice Presidential Contest of Ideologies

B. Sudershan Reddy, the Vice Presidential nominee representing the opposition INDIA bloc, paid a visit to the Communist Party of India (CPI) office in Delhi on Wednesday where he received a warm welcome from CPI leader D Raja.

Ahead of his visit, Reddy was greeted by Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav, who extended his congratulations. On August 21, Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, officially filed his nomination for the Vice Presidential election, calling it an honour and promising to uphold the values of fairness and integrity if elected.

The nomination was submitted in the presence of key Congress figures, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. In his official statement, Reddy expressed humility and a strong sense of responsibility, committing to the constitutional values of the office.

The upcoming election is set to be a face-off between Reddy, backed by the INDIA bloc, and NDA's C.P. Radhakrishnan. The Election Commission has confirmed that the polls will occur on September 9, the same day as the count. This vice presidential race follows the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21 for health reasons.

Reddy, speaking recently, framed the election as an ideological clash rather than a personal battle, differing with the RSS-affiliated ideology of his opponent Radhakrishnan. He emphasized that his dispute lies with the ideas, not with Radhakrishnan personally, whom he stated he had never met.

(With inputs from agencies.)