Hyderabad: The Vice-Presidential election is all set to see an interesting bout and realignment of political forces in the country, including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States.
In Telangana, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) led by Congress’s decision to field Former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy, a “Telugu bidda” and pride of Telugus, as the joint Opposition candidate for the Vice-Presidential election has kicked up a debate in political circles over the choice in the wake of BC quota campaign.
Justice Sudershan Reddy, hailing from an agriculturist family from Ranga Reddy district in Telangana State, is backed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
He headed an 11-member expert group to analyse and interpret data collected during the Socio-Economic, Education, Employment political and Caste survey 2024 conducted by the Telangana Government.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fielded Maharashtra Governor Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan, who hails from the Backward Class Gounder community from Tamil Nadu, and has an RSS background. Tamil Nadu is going to the assembly polls next year.
In the politically surcharged Telangana and AP, besides other parts of the country, it’s seen as a BC vs OC fight!
Telugu states divided
While ruling Congress party and its allies are backing INDIA nominee Justice Sudershan Reddy in Telangana, Telugu Desam-led NDA in Andhra Pradesh, including Jana Sena, are supporting NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan.
The Vice President elections, slated for September 9, were necessitated following the sudden resignation of 74-year-old Jagdeep Dhankar on “health grounds.” He took office in August 2022 and had tenure till 2027.
Radhakrishnan face of OBC
Radhakrishnan as OBC Vice President Candidate would further boost BJP’s support for the uplift of OBCs in the country, Hindutva narrative, while in Tamil Nadu, he is described as “Pride of Tamils,” giving a further boost to the BJP—AIADMK alliance.
It also fits BJP’s look south agenda, the South’s complaint of political marginalization and economic discrimination, including taxing South to feed the North or Hindi belt. The ruling DMK is now in a fix.
While NDA and INDIA alliance have some stance allies, some regional parties like BRS, YSRCP, etc, do not align with either national party but have MPs in both houses of parliament.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by K Chandrasekhar Rao hasn’t spoken about support to any candidate so far.
KTR non-committal
Said K T Rama Rao, BRS working president. “In the Vice-presidential elections, NDA and INDIA have announced their candidates. BRS is an independent party, and we don’t have a boss in Delhi, and no party is our boss. Telangana people are our bosses. No one has approached our party seeking support. We came to know about candidates through the media only. Since we still have time till September, the party will take a decision and reveal out stance.”
He added, “I have to remind you that we are neither in an NDA alliance nor an INDIA alliance. There is no pressure from Delhi to support this candidate or that candidate. We don’t have to bow to anyone. We will decide as per the mood of Telangana people, their aspirations, and for their benefits.”
To a question, he asserted they would oppose Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s INDIA candidate.
“Congress is a third-class party. People in the State are suffering due to it. How can we support a third-class CM and his party candidate? The vice presidential Election has turned out into a drama. Revanth Reddy other day said his party was committed to BCs, fight against Delhi and but why he did not field a BC candidate? He should have shown his commitment to BC welfare. He can’t see BCs during elections. Our decision will be in tune with the people of Telangana. One thing is true. Both Congress and BJP have duped Telangana. 11 years BJP has not done anything and 20 months Congress has done nothing. WE don’t have to take both the candidates seriously. But the party will take a final decision.”
NDA woos parties
NDA has already started wooing various political parties in the country. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached out to non-NDA parties like DMK, YSRCP, BJD, etc. Singh enlisted the support of YSRCP led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has 11 MPs—4 in Lok Sabha and 7 in Rajya Sabha. BJP has 8 MPs in Telangana, while Congress and its allies AIMIM have 12 MPs.
The Electoral College for the Vice-Presidential elections comprise of members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated members. The strength of the electoral college is 781 and the majority mark is 391. The ruling NDA has a comfortable majority with 422 members.
Ideological battle: Kharge
While AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge described the election for the country’s second-highest constitutional post office as “an ideological battle”, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is banking on the slogan of “Telugu bidda.”
Describing the vice president polls as political battle between forces seeking dilution of Constitutional values and upholding democratic ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, B R Ambedkar, Revanth Reddy appealed to the Telugu States to support Sudershan Reddy saying he was “embodiment of Telugu and Telangana pride.”
He recalled how late N T Rama Rao backed P V Narasimha Rao for Nandyal by-elections after he was elected Prime Minister and expects A P CM N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, YSRCP president and ex CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, and others to stand by Justice Sudershan Reddy.
However, there are murmurs in the Congress party that the choice was misplaced, given the party’s fight for BC reservation at the State and national level. “Congress could have chosen any BC leader to give a fillip for the BC movement. They could have chosen a senior leader like V Hanumantha Rao or any other BC leader of the party in the country for the august post. Now the whole debate on BC rights and quota has slipped from their hands with the nomination of a person from the upper caste,” opined a senior Congress leader.
