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Congress nominates Singhvi for Rajya Sabha poll from Himachal
The seat fell vacant as the term of Bharatiya Janata Party’s president Jagat Parkash Nadda ends on April 2; this time, the BJP has fielded Nadda from Gujarat
The Congress on Wednesday nominated Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the Rajya Sabha elections from Himachal Pradesh.
The seat fell vacant as the term of Bharatiya Janata Party’s president Jagat Parkash Nadda ends on April 2. This time, the BJP has fielded Nadda from Gujarat.
The biennial elections to fill 56 seats of Rajya Sabha will be held on February 27 and the last date for filing nominations is February 15. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge approved the candidature of Singhvi for the elections to the council of states.
Singhvi, 65, reached Shimla on Tuesday evening and met chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday. Congress legislators met at Hotel Peterhoff to discuss the names of the Rajya Sabha candidates and finalised the party’s floor strategy for the 16-day assembly session that began on Wednesday.
Congress state unit had offered a seat to Rae Bareli Lok Sabha member and former party president Sonia Gandhi, but she chose to file her nomination for the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.
Singhvi has been the high commissioner to the United Kingdom and was a Rajya Sabha member from 1998 to 2004.
In Himachal Pradesh assembly, the Congress has a strength of 42 and the BJP has 23 members. There are three independent legislators.
Singhvi will file his nomination on Thursday afternoon. Born on February 24, 1959 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, he studied at St. Columba’s School, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, Cambridge University, UK, and Harvard University, United States. He has previously been the additional solicitor general of India.
