‘Not loyalty to party, but love for country must guide your choice’

New Delhi: In a fervent appeal to MPs ahead of the vice presidential polls, Opposition candidate B Sudarshan Reddy on Sunday exhorted them to not let party loyalty guide their choice and asserted that by voting for him, they would be ensuring that the Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of democracy.

In a video message, Reddy told the MPs that this is not just a vote to elect their Vice-President but is a vote for the spirit of India itself.

The joint Opposition candidate said he seeks the MPs’ support not for himself but for the “values that define us as a sovereign democratic republic”.

“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,” Reddy said in his over 12-minute-long video message for members of Parliament.

“By entrusting me with this office, you will be choosing to defend Parliamentary traditions, to restore

dignity to debate, and to ensure that the Rajya Sabha stands as a true temple of democracy,” the former Supreme Court judge said.

Together, let us strengthen our Republic and create a legacy that future generations will be proud to inherit, he said.