CONGRESS EYES LOCAL CANDIDATES FOR RS POLLS

Congress shifts strategy, wary of cross-voting in key states.

- AJIT MAINDOLA

This time, the Congress will rely less on outside candidates in the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled next month.

Indications suggest that local leaders will be given preference in most states, with senior advocate and party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi being a key exception. Learning from past setbacks in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the party is attempting a revised strategy. However, even this recalibration may not fully eliminate the risk of cross-voting. Internal factionalism remains a significant concern. After Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, fears of cross-voting have now surfaced in Telangana as well.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has announced that his party will field a candidate, turning the election into a political test against the Congress government led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The BRS move is being seen as an attempt to settle political scores after the Congress made inroads among BRS MLAs. Sources indicate that the BJP could indirectly support the BRS from within. The candidate’s name is expected to be announced before the nomination deadline, with indications that a prominent local face may be chosen.

For Congress, Singhvi remains the first priority. However, for the second seat, the party is considering B. Sudarshan Reddy, who had earlier contested the Vice Presidential election as the Opposition’s nominee and lost. The party is keen to bring him to the Rajya Sabha. Yet several local leaders have staked their claim, complicating the decision-making process.