Rama Krishna Sangem
Supreme Court retired judge Justice B Sudarshan Reddy is a liberal voice from Telangana. His entry into the Vice-President of India election as the Opposition INDIA block candidate is not a surprise choice, though not an expected move. He is an apolitical face in Hyderabad as well as at the national level, in every civil or democratic rights forums. Though he keeps away from power politics of mainstream political leaders, Justice Reddy always spotted at the left of the centre activities, sometimes in the company of socialist friends.
Sudarshan Reddy recently took up and completed an assignment from the Revanth Reddy led Congress government in Telangana in conducting a caste census, which are now being used as criteria for fixing 42 per cent reservations for OBCs in the local bodies elections. In fact, the Congress government has proudly flaunted at the national level that it is the first in the country to have conducted a caste census, a theme of Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi for sometime.
Justice Reddy’s candidacy for the VP post of the Opposition camp is something unexpected. After the ruling NDA chose CP Radhakrishnan, a Tamilian and an OBC, the Congress led INDIA has veered round to Sudharshan Reddy. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy too might have preferred someone from his state, as it would help the party tone up its show in the coming local bodies elections. The Congress high command found it easy to accept the choice as it is long since someone from a state ruled by it being fielded to a top constitutional post.
Other opposition parties too would have found it comfortable as Justice Reddy is a jurist, non-political background and a non-controversial candidate. He fits into their slogan that ruling BJP led NDA government is degrading the Constitution and liberal values. Justice Reddy’s previous stint at the SC is an apt platform to highlight his suitability for the VP post. Given the number in the parliament, Justice Sudarshan Reddy may not win the VP post, but he can be easily termed as an equivalent to CP Radhakrishnan in the September 9 contest.
Background of Sudarshan Reddy
79 year old Balkrishna Sudarshan Reddy (born 8 July 1946) is an Indian jurist who served as a judge of the Supreme Court of India from 2007 to 2011. He is the Indian National Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) candidate for Vice President of India in the 2025 election.
Sudarshan Reddy hails from Akula Mylaram village, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana, in an agricultural family. He studied in Osmania University, Hyderabad and obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1971. He enrolled as an advocate at the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh the same year. In his early legal career, he started practice on civil and constitutional matters under K. Pratap Reddy, a senior advocate of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
On 8 August 1988, Reddy was appointed as a government pleader in the High Court and became the additional standing counsel for the Government of India, serving until 1990. In 1993, he was elected as president of the Andhra Pradesh High Court Advocates Association and also served as a legal adviser to Osmania University.
On 2 May 1993, Reddy became a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In 2005, he was appointed as the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court on 5 December. Reddy was appointed to the post of judge of the Supreme Court of India on 12 January 2007. He retired on 7 July 2011, with one of his last cases being the influential Salwa Judum case.
Following the passage of the The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, he became the first Lokayukta of Goa in March 2013. In October 2013, Reddy resigned from the role due to personal reasons.
