NEW DELHI: Lamenting that government policies are pushing weaker sections and youth to the margins and hinting that Rajya Sabha proceedings are guided by partisan interests of the governing party, opposition’s vice-presidential candidate B Sudershan Reddy Sunday urged MPs to vote for him above party lines to save the soul of the nation. The former SC judge said his candidature is not a “personal aspiration but a collective effort to protect and strengthen our democratic fabric”.In a fervent appeal via a 12-min video to the electoral college, Reddy said, “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.”“By entrusting me with this office, you will be choosing to defend parliamentary traditions to restore dignity to debate, and to ensure that RS stands as a true temple of democracy,” he added.Reddy repeatedly suggested the VP has to be impartial and should guide discussions beyond immediate political concerns and in national interest – assertions that came in backdrop of the row over the resignation of ex-VP Jagdeep Dhankhar. He positioned himself as an experienced public servant whose understanding of functioning of democracy equips him “to serve as an impartial and dignified custodian of parliamentary traditions”.Reddy said BR Ambedkar’s caution – democracy in India is only a top dressing on a soil that is undemocratic – rings true in the wake of “our experience with a regime that has favoured a few at the cost of crores of citizens – Dalits, tribals, backwards, women, minorities, youth, who are increasingly being pushed to the margins.”