Hyderabad witnessed a significant political development on Thursday as senior Congress leader and Supreme Court advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, along with Vem Narender Reddy, submitted their nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Telangana. This move comes on the final day for filing nominations for the polls scheduled on March 16.
The nominations were filed before Returning Officer Upendra Reddy at the Telangana Legislative Assembly, under the guidance of Legislative Affairs Minister D. Sridhar Babu. The event saw a strong turnout from party heavyweights, including Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud, ministers, MPs, MLAs, and other key leaders, underscoring the party’s unity and enthusiasm.
Singhvi, renominated for a second term by the Congress high command, brings his unparalleled legal acumen and commanding presence in Parliament, which are seen as vital assets for the party’s national strategy. Meanwhile, Narender Reddy, a close aide and advisor to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, marks his debut in the Upper House. The decision to field him over several senior leaders highlights his growing influence within the party’s inner circle.
The elections are necessitated by the retirement of incumbents Abhishek Manu Singhvi and K.R. Suresh Reddy on April 9. Suresh Reddy currently leads the BRS parliamentary party. With the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) opting out of contesting, Singhvi and Reddy are poised for unopposed victories.
Congress holds a commanding position in the 119-member Telangana Assembly with 66 MLAs, bolstered by one from ally CPI and support from seven AIMIM legislators. Although BRS officially has 37 seats, 10 have defected to Congress ahead of the 2024 polls, while BJP accounts for eight. This arithmetic ensures a smooth sail for the Congress nominees, reinforcing the party’s dominance in the state’s parliamentary representation.