Congress Nominates Anurag Sharma and Karamvir Singh Baudh For March 16 Rajya Sabha Elections

The Indian National Congress has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, nominating Anurag Sharma from Himachal Pradesh and Karamvir Singh Baudh from Haryana. The elections to the Upper House of Parliament are scheduled to be held on March 16, with March 5 marking the last date for filing nominations. The party leadership made the announcement as part of its preparations to contest key seats across states where legislative arithmetic plays a crucial role in determining the outcome.

Anurag Sharma, who currently serves as the Kangra district chief of the Congress, is considered a rising leader in the party and is believed to be close to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Sharma hails from the Baijnath Assembly constituency in Kangra district and has also served as president of the Billing Paragliding Association. He began his political career with the student wing National Students’ Union of India in 1995 and was appointed as the district party chief earlier this year, marking a steady rise within the organisation.

The Congress appears to have adopted a cautious strategy in Himachal Pradesh following the political setback it faced during the 2024 Rajya Sabha elections. Despite holding a majority in the 68-member State Assembly, the party’s candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost after cross-voting by rebel legislators and independent members. The seat was eventually won by Harsh Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party, triggering political turbulence as several MLAs later switched allegiance to the BJP.

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Currently, the Congress holds 40 seats in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, while the BJP has 28, giving the ruling party a numerical advantage in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The seat is being contested as the term of BJP MP Indu Bala Goswami is set to end on April 9. Several senior leaders, including former state party chief Pratibha Singh and others, were reportedly in the race for the nomination before Sharma was finalised as the party’s candidate.

In neighbouring Haryana, the Congress high command selected Karamvir Singh Baudh, a Scheduled Caste leader who has previously served as secretary of the SC cell at the All India Congress Committee. Baudh is not aligned with any faction within the state unit, which is often seen as divided, and his nomination is viewed as part of the party’s attempt to maintain caste balance and strengthen outreach among Scheduled Caste communities in the state.

Baudh, originally from Bhaini Maharajpur village in Rohtak district, served for 32 years in the Haryana Civil Secretariat before entering active politics. He has worked in departments such as home, vigilance, governance coordination, and industries and commerce during his government service. Since 1998, he has also been associated with the Confederation of SC/ST/OBCs in Haryana and has advocated for reservation in promotions and service-related justice for government employees, making him a prominent voice among SC officers and employees in the state.

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