Opposition’s vice-presidential candidate B Sudarshan Reddy on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the elections to the second highest office, and asserted the contest is not just about one individual, but about reaffirming the idea of India where Parliament functions with integrity, dissent is respected and institutions serve people with independence.The former Supreme Court judge filed his nomination in the presence of top Opposition leaders, including Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, SP leader Ramgopal Yadav, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, TMC’s Satabdi Roy, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, CPI(M)’s John Brittas among others.
In a statement after filing nomination, Reddy vowed that if elected, he would discharge the role of vice president with impartiality, dignity, and a steadfast commitment to dialogue and decorum.
“Today, I had the honour of filing my nomination papers for the office of the vice president of India as a joint candidate of the Opposition parties.I did so with a deep sense of humility, responsibility, and unwavering commitment to the values enshrined in our Constitution,” Reddy said in a statement.
“This election is not merely about one individual. It is about reaffirming the idea of India as envisaged by our founders — an India where Parliament functions with integrity, where dissent is respected, and where institutions serve the people with independence and fairness,” he said.
The vice president, as the chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, carries the responsibility of safeguarding the highest traditions of parliamentary democracy, he noted.