‘What kind of Retired SC Judge are you?’: BJP attacks INDIA bloc’s VP pick over meeting Lalu; shares picture | India News

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday launched a scathing assault in opposition to opposition’s vice-presidential nominee Sudarshan Reddy for meeting Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad, who’s convicted in fodder rip-off case.During a press convention, BJP chief Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the previous Supreme Court decide of “hypocrisy” for meeting a convict whereas additionally claiming to “save the soul of the nation.”“Retired Judge of the Supreme Court Sudershan Reddy is the opposition’s candidate for the post of Vice-President. Sudershan Reddy has given a statement that vote for me to save the soul of the nation,” Prasad stated.“He met RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is convicted in the fodder scam…What kind of a Retired Judge of the Supreme Court are you that you are meeting someone who is convicted of a scam?… This is hypocrisy. Please don’t talk about the soul of the nation,” he added.Earlier within the day, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya termed Sudarshan’s meet with Lalu as “terrible optics.”“B Sudarshan Reddy, former Supreme Court judge and INDI Alliance’s joint candidate, recently met fodder scam convict Lalu Prasad, who isn’t even a Member of Parliament and has no vote in the VP electoral college,” Malviya wrote on X.“This isn’t just terrible optics, it’s a shocking statement on probity in public life by someone aspiring for a high constitutional office. What’s even more telling is the silence of the “usual suspects” — retired judges and self-proclaimed custodians of constitutional morality. Their hypocrisy stands exposed,” he added.This comes a day earlier than the vice-presidential elections. The opposition has fielded B Sudarshan whereas NDA National Democratic Alliance introduced Maharashtra governor CP Radhakrishnan as its nominee.How the numbers stack upThe vice chairman is elected by members of each the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, together with nominated members of the Upper House.Currently, the NDA holds a cushty edge. The mixed power of the 2 Houses stands at 786, factoring in six vacancies—one within the Lok Sabha (Basirhat, West Bengal) and 5 within the Rajya Sabha (4 from Jammu and Kashmir and one from Punjab, the place AAP MP Sanjeev Arora stepped down after successful a state meeting bypoll final month).To win, a candidate should safe no less than 394 votes, assuming full turnout. The BJP-led NDA is effectively positioned. It instructions the help of 293 MPs within the 542-member Lok Sabha and 129 MPs within the Rajya Sabha (efficient power: 240), together with seemingly backing from nominated members.This offers the ruling alliance a projected whole of 422 votes—effectively above the required majority. However, if a number of NDA members insurgent and vote for the INDIA bloc candidate, the steadiness might shift.Under Article 68(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill a emptiness within the workplace of the vice chairman on account of resignation, demise, elimination, or in any other case should be held “as quickly as attainable.“The particular person elected will serve a full five-year time period from the date of assuming workplace. The vice-presidential election follows the system of proportional illustration by means of a single transferable vote and is performed through secret poll, as laid down in Article 66(1). Electors rank candidates so as of choice.The vice chairman is the second-highest constitutional authority in India and likewise serves as ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.