With the date for filing nominations for one seat of Rajya Sabha from Himachal getting closer, Congress leadership has started parleys for selection of the Congress candidate.
One Rajya Sabha seat will be vacated in April- 2026 from Himachal Pradesh after completion of the term of BJP MP Indu Goswami in April -2026 .
The notification has already been issued for the election and the process for filing the nomination papers will begin on March 5 and the election will take place on March 16.
The selection of candidate for the Congress , which have a strength of 40 MLAs in the house of 68, looks comfortable for the victory of Congress candidate but the Congress leadership has still not forgotten the bitter loss during the last Rajya Sabha election in February 27, 2024 election, when Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had lost the election after a tie, despite Congress having majority.
Six MLAs of Congress along with three Independent MLAs, then supporting the Congress government, had then cross voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan leading to his surprise win. At that time number of BJP MLAs in HP Vidhan Sabha was 25 and Mahajan won by a tie after both candidates polled equal 34 votes out of 68.
Though alleged internal resentment against the working of Chief Minister Sukhvinder was stated to be the main reason for cross voting by six Congress MLAs, the choice of Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, considered an outsider from Himachal, was also blamed for the surprise defeat of Congress candidate.
In this background, the Congress leadership is taking no chances and treading very cautiously this time and considering all options.
Names of senior leaders, former Union Minister Anand Sharma, Himachal Congress in-charge Rajni Patil, former state Congress President Pratibha Singh and political adviser to the Chief Minister Sunil Sharma, are doing the rounds.
There is also a possibility the Congress may send a Cabinet Minister to Rajya Sabha , which will accommodate one more MLA in the state Cabinet .
The Congress leadership would like to be very cautious this time and will try to nominate a consensus candidate for Rajya Sabha election to keep its flock together. CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is in Delhi to hold parleys with the Congress leadership.
Meanwhile BJP is waiting for the nomination of Congress candidate to decide its future strategy.
