Chandigarh, March 5: Shimla, March 5: The Congress party on Thursday announced its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16, featuring a mix of senior leadership and unexpected grassroots appointments. Senior spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi is set to return to the Upper House from Telangana, while the party has opted for “wild card” entries in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
In a move that has sparked significant discussion within political circles, the party nominated Kangra district chief Anurag Sharma from Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Sharma, who is considered a close associate of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, was selected at a time when other prominent state leaders were reportedly seeking the nomination.
“The list of Congress candidates immediately sparked curiosity in the party camp, especially on account of the nomination of Baudh and Anurag Sharma,” a party source stated.
From Haryana, the Congress high command has fielded Karamvir Baudh, a leader from the Scheduled Caste segment who previously served as a secretary of the AICC’s SC cell. Mr. Baudh is viewed as a neutral candidate who does not align with any specific internal factions within the Haryana Congress unit.
The party has also maintained its focus on tribal representation by renominating Phulo Devi Nehtam from Chhattisgarh. In Telangana, alongside Mr. Singhvi, the party has nominated Vem Narender Reddy, who currently serves as an adviser to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
“Baudh is a candidate of the high command and a leader of the Scheduled Caste segment,” a senior functionary affirmed.
Political observers noted that the selection of Mr. Sharma in Himachal Pradesh comes despite expectations from the camp of former state chief Pratibha Singh. The party maintained that the nominations were finalized to balance regional aspirations and social engineering ahead of the legislative polls.
