Lucknow, Aug 26 (IANS) Justice B. Sudershan Reddy (retd), the INDIA bloc’s Vice Presidential candidate, began his Uttar Pradesh tour on Tuesday, where he was welcomed by Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders.

Seeking their support, Reddy asserted that the Vice President’s post should remain above politics.

“I stand with constitutional values. The post of Vice President is not a political office; it is a constitutional responsibility,” Reddy told reporters at the Samajwadi Party state office in Lucknow.

“My constitutional journey began in 1971 from the Bar Association, and it continues even today. This post has been held by stalwarts like Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Dr Zakir Hussain, K.R. Narayanan, and Hamid Ansari. I will uphold the same values.”

He praised the Samajwadi Party and recalled the influence of socialist leaders.

“We learned a lot from (Ram Manohar) Lohia ji and other great leaders. Coming from South India, we are trying to connect with people who speak Hindi. Several parties beyond the INDIA bloc are also supporting us, which would not have been possible without (SP chief) Akhilesh (Yadav) ji’s efforts. I also met Arvind Kejriwal, and I appeal to all parties to extend their support,” he said.

Responding to questions on the 130th Constitutional Amendments Bill, Reddy noted: “A Joint Parliamentary Committee has been formed to study the matter and submit its report.”

On concerns over institutions straying from their values, he added: “There is a need to revisit and strengthen them.”

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly endorsed Justice Reddy’s candidature. “Those who support justice should back B. Sudershan Reddy on the call of their conscience. There can be no better candidate for the fight for social justice,” he said, accusing the BJP of attempting to link the Vice President’s office to its ideology.

Later, Reddy and Yadav held discussions with SP and Congress MPs at Hotel Taj.

The Vice Presidential election is scheduled for September 9, with Reddy taking on the BJP-led NDA’s candidate, C.P. Radhakrishnan.

–IANS

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