NDA taps CP Radhakrishnan; INDIA bloc fields Sudershan Reddy for VP

The vice presidential race in India took a formal turn this week as the NDA tapped CP Radhakrishnan, the Maharashtra governor and veteran BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, to run for the office, while the INDIA bloc fielded former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as its joint candidate. Nomination papers for both candidates were filed in the presence of key party figures and the Rajya Sabha secretary general, who serves as the returning officer for the election. The contest is scheduled for September 9, with counting on the same day, and the electoral college comprises members of both houses of Parliament, elected and nominated.

In New Delhi, CP Radhakrishnan’s nomination was formalized with four sets of papers, each bearing the signatures of lead proposers from the NDA, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other senior leaders. The process proceeded with the returning officer scrutinizing the documents, after which Radhakrishnan signed a register and received an acknowledgement slip. The event underscored the NDA’s effort to project a unified, experienced, and untainted figure for the vice presidency, with a slate...