Congress nominates Abhishek Manu Singhvi for Rajya Sabha bypoll in Telangana, draws flak

The decision drew severe flak from various quarters in the State as the Congress had not only opted for a non-Telangana leader, but also the one who dismissed the Telangana agitation for separate statehood and undermined the sacrifices of the martyrs.

Hyderabad: The Congress party on Wednesday nominated Abhishek Manu Singhvi as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll in Telangana. However, the decision drew severe flak from various quarters in the State as the Congress had not only opted for a non-Telangana leader, but also the one who dismissed the Telangana agitation for separate statehood and undermined the sacrifices of the martyrs.

The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of K Keshava Rao after he defected from the BRS to the ruling Congress.

---

On multiple occasions throughout the agitation, Singhvi belittled the Telangana movement and dismissed the indefinite strikes as inconsequential, having no impact on normal life in Telangana region of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Even though Telangana came to a stand still with employees on strike, busses off the roads and cold production coming to a halt, he said it had no impact, while speaking to the national media as the Congress party’s spokesperson.

On one occasion, he even suggested that one of the options before the then UPA government was to create Telangana without Hyderabad. Many leaders including Keshava Rao who then resigned to the Rajya Sabha membership for the cause of Telangana State, strongly objected to these suggestions.

Reacting to Singhvi’s nomination, netizens of Telangana posted on social media that his appointment is “deeply painful and a betrayal to every sacrifice made during our struggle for statehood.”

Ironically, the Congress had earlier fielded Singhvi from Himachal Pradesh but a cross-voting by some disgruntled Congress MLAs saw him losing the election to BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan.