Hyderabad: The bypoll for one vacant Rajya Sabha seat in Telangana will be held on September 3.
As per the schedule released by the Election Commission on Wednesday, the poll notification will be issued on August 14. The seat fell vacant with the resignation of BRS MP K. Keshava Rao, who joined the Congress. Going by the majority in the Legislative Assembly, the Congress victory is a foregone conclusion in the bypoll.
Keshava Rao's six-year tenure was supposed to end on April 9, 2026. But he tendered his resignation last month on July 5 and joined the Congress forcing the bypoll.
Going by the majority the Congress enjoys in the Legislative Assembly, the victory of the Congress candidate in the bypoll is a foregone conclusion.
According to sources, state leaders are not interested in contesting the bypoll as the winning candidate will remain the MP for merely two years, which is the remainder term of Keshav Rao when he resigned from the Rajya Sabha.
Speculations are rife that the Congress high command is seriously considering nominating Abhishek Manu Singhvi to the Rajya Sabha from Telangana through this bypoll.
Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha poll from Himachal Pradesh in February this year due to cross-voting by nine Congress MLAs in favour of the BJP. Although the Congress as ruling party in Himachal Pradesh had required a majority to ensure victory for Singhvi, he lost the election due to the cross voting. Party sources said the high command now wants to send Singhvi to the Rajya Sabha from Telangana.
Veteran Congress leader V . Hanumantha Rao is also seeking the Rajya Sabha nomination for this bypoll. party sources said.
The buzz in political circles is that this bypoll could be unanimous in favour of the Congress predict that the BRS would not field its candidate as it lacked sufficient numbers.
In the Rajya Sabha elections, the MLAs are the voters. In the 119-member Legislative Assembly, the Congress has a strength of 65 MLAs. The main opposition BRS has 38 MLAs but 10 of its MLAs joined Congress so far reducing its strength to 28 and increasing Congress strength to 75.
The other opposition parties such as the BJP and the AIMIM with a strength of 8 and 7 MLAs respectively lack sufficient numbers even to field their candidate. This makes the Congress victory certain in the bypoll. Whether the election will be held or not depends on the BRS fielding its candidate.
The notification for the Rajya Sabha elections will be issued on August 14 and the last date for filing of nomination papers is August 21. The polling will be held on September 3 and the results will be announced on the same day.
There are seven Rajya Sabha seats in Telangana. At present, BRS has four MPs and Congress has two MPs in Rajya Sabha.
