V-P poll: Jagan throws weight behind NDA pick
VIJAYAWADA: In an important political move, retired Supreme Court Judge Sudarshan Reddy, the INDIA bloc’s nominee for the Vice-President of India post, reached out to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former AP chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday, seeking his party’s support in the upcoming election.
Justice Reddy, known for his distinguished judicial career, personally requested Jagan to extend solidarity to the opposition camp in what is expected to be a high-stakes contest. However, Jagan politely declined, pointing out that representatives of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had approached him before the INDIA bloc announced its candidate.
He explained that he had already assured support to the NDA’s nominee during those discussions. “I have tremendous personal admiration for Justice Sudarshan Reddy,” Jagan said, praising his judicial contributions in safeguarding the Constitution and democratic values. “But this decision is bound by a prior commitment.”
The Vice-Presidential election is scheduled for September 9. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, tasked with reaching out to non-NDA parties, had earlier spoken with Jagan, who promised to decide after consulting party colleagues. Following internal discussions, Jagan conveyed YSRCP’s endorsement of the NDA nominee through parliamentary party leader YV Subba Reddy.
The YSRCP, which holds four Lok Sabha seats and seven Rajya Sabha seats, has consistently supported NDA candidates in previous presidential and vice-presidential elections.