KOLKATA – In a largely anticipated move, four candidates from West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted their nomination papers on Thursday for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from the state.
The electoral battle is set for five seats in the Upper House of Parliament, with the current assembly strength heavily favoring TMC to secure four and BJP one. This numerical dominance suggests these nominees could sail through unopposed, barring any last-minute hitches like nomination rejections or withdrawals.
Scrutiny of papers is scheduled for March 6, with the deadline to withdraw candidatures on March 9. Only post this will formal declarations of unopposed victories be made.
TMC’s star-studded lineup features former Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, IT Minister and former singer-actor Babul Supriyo, Supreme Court senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, and popular Bengali actress Koyel Mallick. Each brings a unique blend of administrative expertise, entertainment charisma, and legal prowess to the table.
Representing BJP is Rahul Sinha, the party’s former national secretary and ex-West Bengal state president, a seasoned politician eyeing a return to national prominence.
These vacancies arise from the retirement of three sitting TMC MPs – Subrata Bakshi, Ritabrata Banerjee, and Saket Gokhale – alongside the resignation of TMC’s Mosaraf Hossain (now Mousam Benazir Noor), who recently defected to Congress. The fifth seat, held by CPI(M)’s Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, is also up, but with no assembly MLAs for the Left, it’s poised to go BJP’s way.
This election underscores West Bengal’s polarized politics, where TMC’s assembly supermajority (over 200 seats) ensures its Rajya Sabha grip, while BJP consolidates its lone foothold amid ongoing turf wars. As nominations lock in, eyes are on any procedural dramas that could spice up this otherwise straightforward affair.