The Congress on Thursday released its list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, naming six nominees from different states. The selections were cleared by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and formally announced by AICC general secretary K. C. Venugopal.

From Telangana, the party has fielded senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi and former MLA Vem Narender Reddy. In addition, Phulo Devi Netam has been nominated from Chhattisgarh, Karamvir Singh Boudh from Haryana, Anurag Sharma from Himachal Pradesh and M. Christopher Tilak from Tamil Nadu.

In Telangana, two Upper House seats are becoming vacant as the terms of sitting members conclude in April. With the Congress currently holding power in the state Assembly, the party is in a favourable position to secure both seats. Singhvi is expected to return to the Rajya Sabha, while Narender Reddy’s nomination reflects his growing prominence within the state unit.

After his candidature was announced, Narender Reddy thanked senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for placing their trust in him.

The Election Commission has scheduled biennial polls to 37 Rajya Sabha seats on March 16 across 10 states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar and others. These elections are being held as several members of the Upper House are set to retire this year.

Among the states, Maharashtra will see the highest number of seats going to polls, followed by Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Bihar. Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Haryana will each have multiple seats contested, while Himachal Pradesh will have one vacancy.

Based on current Assembly strengths, the Congress is expected to improve its representation in states such as Telangana, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, where it holds a stronger legislative position.