Last Updated:
The party needs a glue to keep it together, and the Rajya Sabha offers an opportunity. However, the challenge before Rahul Gandhi is to ensure that he can keep all happy
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (Image: PTI/File)
Leaders of the Congress are very busy. The 2026 state polls are just around the corner, with West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam topping the list. However, that’s not where the action is happening. It’s the race for the Rajya Sabha seats coming up next year which is where the focus of most of the Congress leaders is.
The pie is limited but the claimants are many. There are about nine seats for Rajya Sabha that will be available next year, most of which fall in Karnataka, Telangana, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
Usually, most political parties decide on Rajya Sabha seats, keeping in mind capability, winnability or caste and representation. But here is where the Congress appears different. The yardstick for the Grand Old Party is not just winnability, but also who wins the heart and trust of Rahul Gandhi. So, the list consists of those who are considered to be close to Gandhi. Names on the list include Pawan Khera, who has been as aggressive as Gandhi on ‘Vote Chori’, Meenakshi Natarajan, Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Sachin Rao.
However, the party is likely to face hurdles. For instance, in Himachal Pradesh, while Pratibha Singh—who stepped down as state Congress chief and is a bête noir of chief minister Sukhu—seems to be the main claimant, there is Anand Sharma, who is waiting in the wings and hoping that he gets picked.
Given that there are important state polls coming up, one would think that the Congress would want to accommodate some leaders from the poll-bound areas to make a point. There are also leaders who have been working the ground and hope that they will be rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat. For instance, take the case of Ashok Gehlot, who has been working overtime to try and get into the Upper House.
The party, which is facing a crisis and also simmering discontent, needs a glue to keep it together, energise leaders and also ensure a glimmer of hope. The Rajya Sabha offers all of this but the pie is small and the challenge before Rahul Gandhi is to ensure that he can keep all happy.
Inside the AICC headquarters, the hopefuls are racing against each other to ensure that they catch Rahul Gandhi’s eye. All of them want to impress the boss so that they can swing a seat in their favour.
As for the 2026 state polls, they can probably wait.
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als…Read More
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als… Read More
November 25, 2025, 08:32 IST
Read More
