The Trinamool Congress on Friday evening announced the names of minister Babul Supriyo, former Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy and actor Koel Mallick as candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. “We are pleased to announce the candidature of Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to them,” the TMC said in a post on X.
“May they continue to uphold Trinamool's enduring legacy of resilience and its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every Indian,” the party added.
Menaka Guruswamy's induction is seen as an attempt to sharpen the TMC's constitutional articulation and strengthen its voice within the opposition INDIA bloc.
Menaka Guruswamy to become India’s first LGBTQ+ parliamentarian
A senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Menaka Guruswamy is openly lesbian. She was among the lawyers representing petitioners in the landmark constitutional challenge that led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India through the reading down of Section 377 of the IPC in 2018.
She began her legal career in 1997 under former Attorney General Ashok Desai, focusing on constitutional and litigation matters. She was part of the legal team in the 2018 judgment that read down Section 377 and has also represented the West Bengal government in key legal battles.
More recently, she represented the TMC in court proceedings challenging Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC.
Rajya Sabha election schedule
The Election Commission of India has declared that polling for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across multiple states, including West Bengal, will be held on March 16.
From West Bengal, five Rajya Sabha seats are falling vacant in 2026, and four of them were held by the TMC.
With numbers firmly stacked in its favour in the 294-member Assembly, the ruling TMC is set to win four of the five Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal, while the opposition BJP is expected to secure one.
