- Justice B Sudershan Reddy described the VP election as a respectful contest, not a fight
- He rejected framing the election as Telangana versus Tamil Nadu
- Justice Reddy emphasised his commitment to India's Constitution
A narrative is being set that the Vice-Presidential election has pitted Telangana against Tamil Nadu, said the Opposition's nominee and retired Supreme Court judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy, refusing to refer to the upcoming contest as a literal "fight". The two states refer to the natives of Justice Reddy, who is from Hyderabad, and his NDA opponent, CP Radhakrishnan, the current Governor of Maharashtra and one of the BJP's tallest leaders in Tamil Nadu.
"This is not a fight. It will be a healthy, respectable, and decent contest. No personal attacks are expected. I won't make any personal remark, and I hope Mr Radhakrishnan will also refrain from getting personal. He is very experienced, has been around for a long time, and has been the Governor of two-three states. It will be a decent dialogue, not a fight," Justice Reddy told NDTV.
He also opposed turning the Vice-Presidential election into state versus state politics.
Read: The Veep Election: BJP's Tamil Nadu Pick, INDIA Bloc's Response, The Numbers
"What is this Tamil Nadu vs Telangana? We are both Indian citizens, and India has no separate citizenship for Tamil Nadu and Telangana. You are setting a narrative," said the retired judge who has also been the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court.
When pointed out that Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had called the election a fight of ideology, his answer was more nuanced.
"They have been fighting an ideological war. On the other side, too, the discussion surrounds that a candidate will get backing since he belongs to a certain organisation. But I am not from any party or organisation. My only party is India's Constitution. But you need a slogan for the election, and my slogan is social justice," said Justice Reddy.
The Congress is among the key Opposition parties backing Justice Reddy. Replying to a question about whether his candidature reflected the Congress's 'Save the Constitution' campaign, he said saving the Constitution had been his duty both as a judge and a lawyer.
Read: Who Is B Sudershan Reddy, Opposition's Candidate For Vice President Polls
"I have tried to save the Constitution in both the Supreme Court and the High Court. I did that when I was Chief Justice of the High Court, as well as when I was an advocate. It is in the same tradition. The Vice President is not any different; his office is also connected to the Constitution. I am not doing anything different. It is what I have been doing," he said.
The Vice President is not elected directly. He is elected by voting by the Members of Parliament. The BJP has the support of a total of 422 MPs in both the Houses, which includes the members of its allies, whereas it needs just 394 to win the election.
Justice Reddy also addressed the number game during the interview.
"Political parties don't vote in this. There's no whip. It's the Members of the Parliament who choose (the VP). They will deliberate on which candidate would be the right choice and then arrive at a conclusion. That's why hope is still there. And I believe the mandate will be in my favour," said Justice Reddy.
The Vice-Presidential election will be held on September 9 to elect the successor to Jagdeep Dhankhar, who had resigned last month, citing health concerns. Justice Reddy is expected to file his nomination tomorrow, while his NDA opponent Mr Radhakrishnan has already submitted his application today.
