Hyderabad: The Congress party’s decision to renominate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and field Vem Narender Reddy for the two Rajya Sabha vacancies from Telangana has largely been seen as expected, given the party’s numerical strength in the Assembly.
Yet, within the Telangana Congress, the selections have also offered a window into the evolving balance between seniority, social representation and political alignment in the party.
With the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opting not to field candidates due to insufficient strength in the Legislative Assembly, the Congress candidates were elected unopposed.
However, the internal contest for the lone seat available to state leaders drew significant interest within the party.
Intense lobbying within party ranks
Several senior leaders reportedly explored their chances before the final announcement. Among those who were seen making rounds of Gandhi Bhavan, the Telangana Congress headquarters, were former Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao, former MP Madhuyaskhi Goud, and TPCC Disciplinary Committee Vice Chairman Shyam Rao Anantula.
Hanumantha Rao and Shyam Rao even travelled to New Delhi to lobby the Congress high command, but their attempts ultimately did not yield results.
Earlier, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president T Jagga Reddy had publicly urged the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to consider the candidature of Hanumantha Rao and Jetti Kusum Kumar, citing their long-standing service and seniority within the party.
Revanth Reddy’s preference prevails
Despite the lobbying by senior leaders and calls for accommodating long-serving party members, chief minister A Revanth Reddy is understood to have strongly backed the candidature of Narender Reddy, his close political aide who currently serves as an adviser to the state government.
Within party circles, Narender Reddy is regarded as a key political coordinator handling sensitive organisational and governance-related matters. His nomination is therefore widely interpreted as a reflection of the chief minister’s growing influence within the state unit as well as with the Congress high command.
Party observers note that once Revanth Reddy’s preference became clear, the central leadership endorsed the recommendation without significant resistance.
Experience retained in Parliament
Alongside Narender Reddy’s elevation, the Congress leadership also chose to renominate Singhvi, a senior Supreme Court lawyer and one of the party’s most prominent voices in Parliament.
Singhvi had earlier entered the Rajya Sabha from Telangana through a by-election after Keshava Rao resigned from the Upper House and joined the Congress following the party’s rise to power in the state.
His renomination reflects the party’s emphasis on retaining experienced parliamentarians capable of handling legal and legislative debates.
Changing Parliamentary landscape
The latest Rajya Sabha election also reflects the shifting parliamentary representation from Telangana. When the Congress came to power in December 2023, it had no representation in the Rajya Sabha, with all seven seats held by the BRS.
Since then, elections and political realignments have gradually altered the balance. With the latest nominations, the Congress now has four Rajya Sabha members from Telangana, while the BRS has three.
