Judicial Gravitas Meets Political Arena: INDIA Alliance Nominates Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy for Vice President
(Judicial Quest News Network)
New Delhi | August 19, 2025 — In a landmark announcement that underscores the INDIA Alliance’s commitment to constitutional values and judicial integrity, retired Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy has been nominated as the coalition’s official candidate for the upcoming Vice-Presidential election scheduled for September 9.
B. Sudarshan Reddy, B.A., LL.B., was born on July 8, 1946. He was enrolled as Advocate at Hyderabad with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh on December 27, 1971. He has practiced in Writ and Civil matters in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. He worked as Government Pleader in the High Court during 1988-90.
He also worked as Additional Standing Counsel for Central Government for a period of 6 months during 1990. He worked as Legal Adviser and Standing Counsel for Osmania University. He was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on May 2, 1995. He was appointed as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court on 05.12.2005. Appointed as a Judge of Supreme Court of India on 12.01.2007. Retired on 8.7.2011
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge made the declaration following a meeting of senior leaders from the INDIA bloc, calling the contest an “ideological battle” and praising Justice Reddy as a “consistent and courageous champion of social, economic and political justice”.
A Legacy of Judicial ExcellenceJustice Reddy, 79, hails from Akula Mylaram village in Telangana’s Ranga Reddy district. He began his legal career in 1971 after graduating from Osmania University and quickly rose through the ranks, serving as Government Pleader in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and later as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2007 and served until his retirement in 2011.His tenure on the bench was marked by landmark rulings, including
Salwa Judum Case (2011) Declared the state-sponsored militia unconstitutional, emphasizing the dangers of arming civilians
Black Money Case (2011) Criticized the government’s lax approach to illicit wealth abroad and ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team
Judicial Transparency Advocated for greater accountability through the RTI Act
A Historic Nomination Justice Reddy becomes the first retired Supreme Court judge to contest for the Vice President’s post, a precedent not seen since Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah’s election in 1979. His nomination is widely seen as a strategic move to bring gravitas and non-partisan credibility to the INDIA bloc’s campaign.
The Vice-Presidential election will be decided by members of both Houses of Parliament. Justice Reddy is set to file his nomination on August 21, with the deadline for withdrawals on August 25.
As the race heats up, Justice Reddy will face off against NDA’s nominee, CP Radhakrishnan, in what is shaping up to be a contest not just of candidates—but of constitutional philosophies.
