VP poll: Telangana CM in Delhi to mobilise support for Sudershan Reddy

Hyderabad, Sep 9 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who is in New Delhi to mobilise support for the INDIA bloc candidate in the Vice-Presidential election, on Tuesday hosted breakfast for Congress MPs from the state ahead of the polling.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, he gave guidance to the MPs before they cast their votes.

The Chief Minister reached the national capital last night to be present during the polling for the Vice-Presidential election.

Since the INDIA bloc's candidate, B. Sudershan Reddy, is from Telangana, CM Revanth Reddy is taking a personal interest in mobilising last-minute support for his candidature.

He was reportedly trying to reach out to MPs belonging to parties which are not part of the INDIA bloc.

Sudershan Reddy, a former Supreme Court judge, is locked in a direct fight with C. P. Radhakrishnan of the NDA.

Revanth Reddy is said to have played a key role in deciding Sudershan Reddy's candidature. The former Supreme Court judge headed the Independent Expert Working Group (IEWG) appointed by the Telangana government to analyse the data of the caste survey. In July, the panel submitted its report to the Chief Minister.

Sudershan Reddy was also present during the presentation made by the Chief Minister on the caste survey conducted in Telangana before the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge last month.

Revanth Reddy had appealed to all political parties from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to support Sudershan Reddy, a Telugu man.

Invoking the slogan of Telugu self-respect given by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder and former Chief Minister of united Andhra Pradesh N. T. Rama Rao, he recalled the unity shown by the parties to back former President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, former Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao and former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu.

However, Revanth Reddy's appeal evoked no support from the parties in both the Telugu states. Telangana's main opposition party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which has four members in the Rajya Sabha, had announced to abstain from voting.

TDP and Pawan Kalyan-led Jana Sena, which are sharing power with the BJP both at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh, are part of the NDA. Even the opposition YSR Congress Party is backing Radhakrishnan.

Congress has eight Lok Sabha and three Rajya Sabha members from Telangana, while it has no representation in the Parliament from Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

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