Congress Party Finalizes Abhishek Manu Singhvi as Rajya Sabha Candidate from Himachal Pradesh
The Congress party has reportedly chosen Abhishek Manu Singhvi as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh. The polls are scheduled to take place on February 27 this month, with Singhvi expected to file his nomination tomorrow, according to reports.
According to an AICC release, the Congress has finalized four candidates for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha. The names include Sonia Gandhi from Rajasthan, Akhilesh Prasad Singh from Bihar, Abhishek Manu Singhvi from Himachal Pradesh, and Chandrakant Handore from Maharashtra.
Himachal Pradesh is one of the 15 states where elections to 56 Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled. The state will elect one Rajya Sabha member, as the tenure of BJP president J.P. Nadda is ending this April.
In Himachal Pradesh, it is likely that a member of the INC will secure the Rajya Sabha seat. With 40 MLAs out of the 68-member assembly, the INC holds a significant majority, while the opposition BJP has 26 MLAs.
As of now, the opposition BJP has not announced any candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh. There is speculation that the Saffron party may choose not to field any candidate, thereby making the election unnecessary. The deadline for filing nominations is February 15.
Recently, a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party was convened, where it was proposed that the high command would decide the candidate for the Rajya Sabha MP.
Reports also suggest that several other names were under consideration for the Rajya Sabha seat, including former Union Minister Anand Sharma, former Rajya Sabha MP Viplav Thakur, former Congress State President Kaul Singh Thakur, and former Minister Asha Kumari, all of whom hail from Himachal Pradesh. There were also speculations that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might be named as the RS candidate for Himachal Pradesh.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, born on February 24, 1959, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, is a prominent lawyer in India. He received his education from prestigious institutions such as St. Columba’s School, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, Cambridge University, UK, and Harvard University, United States. Singhvi has previously served as the Additional Solicitor General of India.
