The Congress has named Anurag Sharma as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh. The party’s central leadership released a list of six candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from different states, which includes Sharma’s name from Himachal Pradesh.
Sharma is scheduled to file his nomination papers in the state Assembly on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Before the filing of the nomination, Sukhu will chair a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party in the Assembly complex. The meeting is expected to discuss the Rajya Sabha election and the political situation in the state.
Currently serving as the president of the Kangra District Congress Committee, Sharma has been active in party politics for several years and has held various responsibilities in the organisation. His selection has generated enthusiasm among Congress workers, particularly in the Kangra region.
Apart from politics, Sharma is also associated with adventure tourism activities in the state. He serves as the president of the Bir Billing Paragliding Association, which organises international paragliding championships at Bir Billing, a well-known paragliding destination.
The Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh will fall vacant as the term of the sitting BJP MP Indu Goswami is set to end on April 9. A new member needs to be elected before the completion of her term. According to the election schedule, nominations will be filed today, and the scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on the following day.
The upcoming election also comes in the backdrop of the dramatic political developments witnessed during the 2024 Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh. In that election, the Congress had fielded Abhishek Manu Singhvi, but the contest ended in an unexpected tie after cross-voting by some Congress MLAs. The BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan eventually won the seat after the result was decided through a draw of lots, triggering a major political crisis in the state at the time.
