Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today (August 14) approved the candidature of senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi as Congress candidate to contest the ensuing by-election to the Council of States from Telangana.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, the Congress nominated Abhishek Manu Singhvi as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll in Telangana.
"Congress President Malliarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Abhishek Manu Singhvi as Congress candidate to contest the ensuing bye-elections to the Council of States from Telangana," Venugopal stated in an AICC press release.
Singhvi expresses gratitude to Congress leaders
Abhishek Manu Singhvi posted on X and said, "My sincere gratitude to the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, to two former CPs, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, to Priyanka Gandhi and to all senior leadership for the trust and faith reposed in me."
Earlier in February this year, Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh.
By-poll in Telangana to be held on September 3
The by-poll for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by K Keshava Rao will be held on September 3 and the notification was issued by the Election Commission on August 14. The Election Commission announced that elections for 12 vacant seats, including the by-poll in Telangana, will be held on September 3 (Saturday).
The seat in Telangana fell vacant after Keshava Rao, who was elected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, resigned from his post after joining the Congress recently though his tenure was expiring in March 2026.
BRS MP Keshava Rao tendered his resignation from RS membership on July 4. Keshava Rao is a former chief of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee. He joined the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), then the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in 2013 and has returned to Congress after over a decade.
Earlier, it was reported that several aspirants are eyeing the seat within the Telangana Congress but the choice may be left to the party high command. The party may consider the name of a senior leader from North India since the term was less than two years. In the changed circumstances after the Supreme Court ruling on the categorisation of SC reservations, the party may opt for a Scheduled Caste leader for the short term. Senior leaders like K Jana Reddy and V Hanumanth Rao are also taking a shot, arguing that this would be their last opportunity for a political position.
