INDIA Bloc’s candidate for the upcoming Vice-President elections, retired Supreme Court Judge Balakrishna Sudershan Reddy, eminent legal luminary, headed an 11-member Independent Expert Working Group that had analysed and interpreted the data collected during the Socio, Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Survey 2024 (SEEEPC survey) conducted by the Telangana government.

Telangana Congress leaders surprised too

An All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader from Telangana said the contribution of Justice Reddy in vetting the survey had brought him into close contact with the Congress leadership in the Centre. A top Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leader told The Hindu that the role of Justice Reddy in submitting its recommendations of the Expert Group coupled with his roots in South India had worked in his favour as the Vice-President candidate. “The choice is surprising to the Telangana Congress leaders also,” the leader mentioned.

The State government led by A. Revanth Reddy had successfully completed the socio-economic and caste survey launched in November 2024 and completed it in a record time to gather detailed data on caste, education, employment, income and political engagement and made it public in February 2025.

The report formed the basis for the government’s pitch for 42% quota for Backward Classes (BC) in local bodies polls, which subsequently echoed across the country with the Congress taking up a campaign. In fact, the Mr. Revanth Reddy had referred to how the Expert Group led by Justice Sudershan Reddy had praised the survey as scientific, authentic, and reliable, and a potential model for the rest of the country. The expert group felt that the methodology adopted was thorough and exemplary. It recommended to use the data to fine-tune existing welfare schemes and design future policies focused on upliftment of weaker sections, and bridging inequalities.

The findings, which were tabled in both the Houses of Telangana Legislature, were later referred to the working Group headed by Justice Sudershan Reddy. The group headed by the former Supreme Court Judge was tasked with studying and interpreting the extensive data.

Farmer’s family to legal profession

Justice Sudershan Reddy was born on 8th July, 1946, at Akula Mylaram of Kandakur mandal in Rangareddy district. He hails from an agricultural family. He studied in Hyderabad and graduated in Law from Osmania University. His legal career spans more than five decades.

After competing Law in 1971, Justice Reddy joined the office of a senior Advocate K. Pratap Reddy handling cases in the City Civil Court and gradually moving in to fight cases in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh.

He rose to become the Judge of High Court of Andhra Pradesh in 1995 and went on to head the Guwahati High Court as Chief Justice. In 2007, he was appointed as Judge of Supreme Court of India and retired in 2011.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy took to X (formerly Twitter) appealing to all Telugu parties to support the candidature of Justice Sudarshan Reddy, a distinguished jurist, in the upcoming Vice President electionS.