Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Narender Reddy Secure Unopposed Rajya Sabha Seats from Telangana
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Hyderabad, March 9 (NationPress) Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a prominent advocate in the Supreme Court, along with Vem Narender Reddy, a trusted aide of Telangana's Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, has been elected to the Rajya Sabha unopposed from Telangana.
On Monday, the Returning Officer Upender Reddy officially announced their election following the closure of the nomination withdrawal period.
With only Singhvi and Narender Reddy contesting for the available two seats, their unopposed election was confirmed.
An independent candidate, Sai, had submitted his nomination, but it was ultimately rejected.
The nomination papers were delivered to both Singhvi and Narender Reddy by the Returning Officer.
In a statement to the media, Narender Reddy expressed gratitude towards Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy, and other party leaders.
Singhvi is securing another term in the Rajya Sabha from Telangana, while Narender Reddy is set to make his inaugural appearance in the upper house of Parliament.
Previously an advisor to Chief Minister Reddy, Narender Reddy's selection as the second candidate was notable, as it overlooked several senior leaders within the party.
The current terms of existing members Singhvi and K.R. Suresh Reddy will conclude on April 9, prompting the need for elections, originally scheduled for March 16.
Suresh Reddy serves as the leader of the BRS Parliamentary Party, while Singhvi was elected to this position as a Congress candidate in 2024, succeeding K. Keshava Rao, who left the party to join Congress.
Due to the lack of sufficient numbers, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was unable to contest the elections, leading to the unopposed election of both Singhvi and Narender Reddy.
The Congress currently holds 66 seats in the 119-member Assembly, with its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI), having one representative. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), viewed as a friendly party to Congress, has seven MLAs.
While the BRS claims to have 37 members, 10 of them defected to Congress in 2024. The BJP has eight MLAs.