Opposition’s joint Vice-Presidential candidate Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy met AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday, seeking his support in the upcoming election. After a detailed discussion on the nation’s political climate at his residence, the AAP Chief declared that Justice B. Reddy was “not a candidate of the ruling or opposition bloc, but of the entire country,” vowing to mobilize AAP’s full strength in his favour.The AAP Supremo appealed to MPs across party lines to back Reddy “in the national interest, so that India gets an impartial Vice President,” while expressing hope that political parties in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana would rise above partisanship and vote for “the pride of the Telugu people.” The meeting was also attended by senior Opposition leaders including Congress MP Pramod Tiwari and Dr. Sayed Naseer Hussain, and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee.Speaking after the meeting, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy, who has filed his nomination as the Vice-Presidential candidate on behalf of the Opposition parties, has our full support. From AAP, Sanjay Singh was present during his nomination. Justice Reddy came to meet me today and we had a detailed discussion on the present state of affairs in the country. I also warmly welcomed the other leaders present at my residence. We discussed at length the political landscape, the electoral arithmetic, and strategies for the coming election. All of us will make every possible effort to ensure Justice Reddy’s victory.”The AAP chief emphasized that this election, conducted through secret ballot, and no whip is issued in it, gives MPs the freedom to vote according to their conscience. “I appeal to the MPs of all parties to vote for Justice B. Reddy in the interest of the nation, so that we can have an impartial Vice President. He has had a very impressive career as a judge and has delivered landmark judgments in the interest of the nation and in defense of justice with courage. If a person like him becomes the Vice-President of India, the dignity of the constitutional post will be enhanced. He is not merely a candidate of the Opposition; he is the candidate of the entire country.”“I appeal to MPs across parties to rise above party commands and vote in the national interest so that the country can get a good and impartial Vice-President. I extend my best wishes to him and look forward to congratulating him on the 9th,” said the AAP Supremo.Highlighting the significance of Justice B. Reddy’s Telugu roots, Arvind Kejriwal added, “Justice B. Reddy is from Andhra Pradesh and has Telugu roots. It is a matter of pride for the entire Telugu society including Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. I believe that the political parties of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will rise above partisan politics and vote for the country and for Telugu pride.”.Meanwhile, Opposition’s Vice-President candidate Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy, in turn, expressed his gratitude to the AAP chief. “Yesterday Arvind Kejriwal sent his MP Sanjay Singh to support my candidature, for which I am deeply thankful. I have come here today to express my gratitude for his graciousness. I am not a member of any political party. The office of the Vice-President is not a political office, though many people misunderstand it as such. It is a high constitutional office which requires independence, autonomy, and impartiality—qualities that a judge must embody. That is why I accepted the request of some of my friends to contest, which was also ably supported and endorsed by veteran leader Arvind Kejriwal.”The Opposition’s Vice Presidential candidate said, “I have come here to express my gratitude as Arvind Kejriwal extended his solidarity and provoked all of us to think afresh about what is happening in this country and the challenges that lie ahead. I will be one among the concerned citizens of this country, not tied to any political party.”On being asked about support from Andhra Pradesh’s leadership, Justice Reddy remarked, “I cannot speak on behalf of the leadership in Andhra Pradesh, but as I have come to request of Arvind Kejriwal, I will also appeal to all of them, irrespective of their political affiliations, to support my candidature.
