Tit-for-tat: Why Opposition's VP pick from Andhra puts NDA in a spot

While the numbers appear to favour the NDA, with the ruling alliance commanding a dominant presence in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition's move is strategically aimed at creating a political narrative.

"This is an ideological fight. So the Opposition parties came together to select one candidate against the candidate who comes from an RSS background. The candidate (Sudarshan Reddy) the Opposition has selected is the one who respects the Constitution," DMK MP Kanimozhi said.

The NDA's decision to nominate CP Radhakrishnan, a two-term MP from Coimbatore and Tamilian, had already landed the MK Stalin-led DMK in a quandary. Tamil pride is a sensitive topic in the state, and the BJP's action forced the DMK to draw a line between local sentiment and national political calculus.

The party, however, insisted that the decision has to be interpreted politically, and not through the lens of language or regional pride.

Now the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the key NDA ally in Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, finds itself in the same situation. The TDP has formally welcomed Radhakrishnan's candidacy and state minister Nara Lokesh has greeted the NDA nominee personally.

Born on July 8, 1946, Justice Reddy began practicing law in Hyderabad after being enrolled as an advocate with the Andhra Pradesh Bar Council in December 1971. He served as government pleader for the Andhra Pradesh High Court between 1988 and 1990, as well as short stints as additional standing counsel to Centre, and legal adviser to Osmania University. Made a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in May 1995, he was elevated to the post of Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in December 2005.

Justice Reddy took his place in the Supreme Court in January 2007 and left office in July 2011. He later became the first Lokayukta of Goa in March 2013 and resigned after seven months, and is now a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre in Hyderabad.

But the Opposition's selection of an Andhra Pradesh judge may compel the TDP to reconcile regional interest with alliance loyalty. To remain faithful to the NDA line would be politicised against them, but to defy it might alienate the ruling coalition.

The other southern parties are also realigning. The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party and the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi would perhaps reconsider supporting the NDA now that the Opposition is likely to seek their support to unitedly take on the post-poll mandate.

The Biju Janata Dal, which has been the BJP's most consistent ally, has so far remained undecided, leaving greater uncertainty.

Technically, the Vice President is elected by an electoral college comprising members of both Houses of Parliament where a simple majority is required to secure the position. Currently, the NDA has a advantage in electoral arithmetic, and CP Radhakrishnan is usually likely to clinch the position.

However, the Opposition hopes that forcing a real contest will help put its consolidation in the limelight and take on the BJP on the big narrative of institutional attack and alleged poll irregulaties.

By choosing an unpolitical candidate with a judiciary background, the INDIA alliance is also framing the election as an ideological battle. BJP may have the numbers, but the Opposition is hoping to frame the election as a statement of being committed to constitution principles above political party interests.

Two visages of southern India, both firmly grounded in the region, now face one another in a struggle that is as much about regional sentiment as it is about national politics. The BJP is in a better position, but the Opposition has succeeded in broadening the Vice Presidential and making it a larger political issue.

As DMK leader Kanimozhi succinctly put it, "Just because the BJP has a Tamil Nadu candidate, it does not mean the ruling party at the centre is worried about Tamil Nadu, Tamil language or values of the state."

With the September 9 election nearing, the NDA appears poised to retain the Vice President's position, but the INDIA coalition has been able to ensure that the fight will be watched closely, both for political value and its likely effect on the southern India alliance dynamics.