Vice Presidential Race Heats Up: B Sudarshan Reddy Files Nomination

B Sudarshan Reddy, the opposition vice-presidential candidate, filed his nomination in the presence of key Congress leaders. The nomination process saw a gathering of prominent opposition figures and was submitted to the Rajya Sabha secretary general. The ruling NDA has countered with candidate C P Radhakrishnan.

In a notable development in the vice-presidential race, B Sudarshan Reddy filed his nomination on Thursday, marking the occasion with the presence of prominent Congress figures Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, made his submission before the Rajya Sabha secretary general, who serves as the returning officer for the election.

The filing was attended by a host of opposition leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar and DMK's Tiruchi Siva. A total of 160 MPs backed Reddy's candidacy as proposers and seconders. The nomination documents were carefully scrutinized and an acknowledgement was provided to Reddy by the returning officer.

The vice presidential elections involve an electoral college, consisting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members. With an effective strength of 781, the majority needed is 391. The ruling NDA's candidate, C P Radhakrishnan, is supported by at least 422 members, securing backing from non-INDIA bloc parties, such as YSRCP.

(With inputs from agencies.)