The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday announced the names of four candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The names include minister Babul Supriyo, former Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, advocate Menaka Guruswamy and actor Koel Mallick. The Election Commission has announced that polling for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across multiple states, including West Bengal, will be held on March 16.
"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," it said.
Profiles of the selected candidates
Babul Supriyo, who entered the Trinamool fold in 2021, is currently a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government. Rajeev Kumar previously held the positions of Director General of Police and Commissioner of Kolkata Police. Menaka Guruswamy is a prominent advocate practising in the Supreme Court. Koel Mallick is a popular face in Bengali cinema and adds a cultural dimension to the party’s selection list.
Political math favours TMC
With the numbers strongly backing it, the TMC looks set to win four of the five Rajya Sabha seats from the state. The BJP is poised to take the remaining seat. The vacancies include those created by the completion of terms of Subrata Bakshi, Ritabrata Banerjee and Saket Gokhale. Another seat fell vacant after Mausam Benazir Noor resigned and later joined the Congress. The term of CPI(M) leader and senior advocate Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya is also ending, and given the Left Front's depleted numbers, that seat is widely expected to swing towards the BJP.
Assembly strength decides the outcome
In the 294-member Assembly, the TMC enjoys an effective strength of 218 MLAs, along with support from several opposition legislators who have switched sides but not resigned. This gives the ruling party enough votes to comfortably send four members to the Upper House. The BJP’s tally has shrunk from its 2021 peak of 77 seats to about 65 due to resignations, defections, deaths and bypoll setbacks. However, it still holds enough strength to secure one Rajya Sabha seat. Unless any party unexpectedly fields an extra candidate, the outcome appears almost certain. A surprise nomination could change the script and spark an intense political contest just as Bengal prepares for an upcoming assembly election campaign.
