The upcoming Vice President election has turned into a tricky situation for political parties in the Telugu states. With the NDA fielding CP Radhakrishnan as its candidate and the INDIA bloc naming former Supreme Court judge Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy from Telangana, the contest has clear regional and national undertones.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made a heartfelt appeal to parties in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, asking them to unite behind Sudarshan Reddy. His pitch was simple, if leaders from the Telugu land will not back a Telugu candidate, then who else will?
Revanth personally urged AP CM Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, BRS president KCR, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, and BJP representatives from both states to support Sudarshan Reddy.
However, the ground reality tells a different story. The TDP and Jana Sena, as NDA allies, have already declared support for Radhakrishnan. YSRCP too has openly aligned with the NDA choice, leaving little to no room for Sudarshan Reddy to secure votes from Andhra Pradesh.
In Telangana, Congress will naturally vote for the INDIA bloc candidate, while AIMIM is also expected to back him. The big question lies with BRS and the BJP’s state unit. If regional sentiment takes precedence, BRS might tilt toward Sudarshan Reddy, but BJP’s backing seems unlikely.
So, while Revanth’s appeal carries emotional weight, the political arithmetic suggests that his request may not get many takers beyond Congress and AIMIM. For now, it looks like the NDA candidate has the upper hand, and Revanth’s call for Telugu unity may remain only a symbolic gesture.
Related