NEW DELHI: Lamenting that govt policies are pushing the weaker sections and the youth to the margins and hinting that Rajya Sabha proceedings are guided by partisan interests of the governing party, opposition’s vice-presidential candidate B Sudershan Reddy on Sunday urged MPs to vote for him above party lines to save the soul of the nation. The former Supreme Court judge said his candidature is not a “personal aspiration but a collective effort to protect and strengthen our democratic fabric”.In a fervent appeal via a 12-minute video to the electoral college for the VP election, Reddy said, “In this election, there is no party whip, and the ballot is secret. It is not loyalty to any political party, but love for the country that must guide your choice. Each one of you carry the moral responsibility to preserve the conscience, the soul of our beloved nation.”“By entrusting me with this office, you will be choosing to defend parliamentary traditions to restore dignity to debate, and to ensure that Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of democracy,” he added.Reddy repeatedly suggested that the VP, who is the chairperson of Rajya Sabha, has to be impartial and should guide discussions beyond immediate political concerns and in the national interest — assertions that came in the backdrop of the controversy over the resignation of former VP Jagdeep Dhankhar that has necessitated the mid-term poll. He positioned himself as an experienced public servant whose understanding of functioning of democracy equips him “to serve as an impartial and dignified custodian of parliamentary traditions”.“Together, let us strengthen our Republic and create a legacy that future generations will be proud to inherit,” he said.Training his guns at the BJP-led NDA govt, without naming the party or PM, Reddy said, “Today, as democratic space shrinks and citizens rights come under strain, its our duty to defend the soul of our democracy.”Reddy said BR Ambedkar’s caution — democracy in India is only a top dressing on a soil that is undemocratic — rings true in the wake of “our experience with a regime that has favoured a few at the cost of crores of citizens — Dalits, tribals, backwards, women, minorities, youth, who are increasingly being pushed to the margins.”The VP poll, to be held on Tuesday, is a direct contest between Reddy and NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan, and the latter is expected to sail through in view of the numerical superiority of the ruling combine. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was to host a dinner for the opposition MPs on Monday, but it has been cancelled in view of the flood situation in the country.
