BJP leader Amit Malviya on September 8 slammed the I.N.D.I Alliance candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy for meeting fodder scam convict Lalu Prasad. He defined their meeting as a “shocking statement on probity in public life by someone aspiring for a high constitutional office”.
In a post shared on X, a BJP leader said, “B Sudarshan Reddy, former Supreme Court judge and I.N.D.I 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. This isn’t just terrible optics, it’s a shocking statement on probity in public life by someone aspiring for a high constitutional office.”
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.
This isn’t just terrible optics, it’s a shocking statement on… pic.twitter.com/IC2CMmhtoN
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 8, 2025
He further targeted retired judges for being silent and called it “hypocrisy”. “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,” Malviya said. Meanwhile, the Vice Presidential election, scheduled for September 9, will witness a direct contest between Justice (Retd.) B Sudershan Reddy, backed by the I.N.D.I Alliance and NDA’s nominee, CP Radhakrishnan.
The Bharatiya Janata Party organised a ‘Sansad Karyalaya’ on September 7, and it will also be held today as a practice session for its MPs on September 8 to guide them on the voting process.
Meanwhile, Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will host a dinner for the I.N.D.I Alliance MPs on Monday evening at the Parliament annexe, a day before voting for the Vice-Presidential election. The meeting is to reinforce the opposition’s unity and support for their VP candidate, B. Sudershan Reddy, who is also supported by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
The Vice Presidential post fell vacant after Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on the first day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 21, citing health reasons. The election of the Vice President is governed by the provisions under Articles 64 and 68 of the Constitution. The Election Commission notifies the VP polls by the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952.
As per Article 66(1) of the Constitution of India, the election of the Vice President shall be held by the system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote, and the voting at such election shall be by secret ballot.
(With inputs from ANI)
