Rajya Sabha polls: Derek O’Brien, Saket Gokhale among 6 candidates named by TMC; Sushmita Dev dropped

New Delhi, July 10

The Trinamool Congress on Monday announced the candidature of Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Samirul Islam, Prakash Chik Baraik and Saket Gokhale for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

“May they persist in their dedication to serving the people and uphold Trinamool’s enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the RIGHTS OF EVERY INDIAN. We extend our heartfelt wishes to all,” TMC tweeted.

Six Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal will fall vacant as Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Pradip Bhattacharya, Sushmita Dev, Shanta Chhetri, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray are set to retire on August 18.

Sushmita Dev, who quit as the Mahila Congress president and joined the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and promptly made a member of the Rajya Sabha, has been left out of the TMC’s list of RS nominees.

Shanta Chhetri, incumbent MP, has been also dropped from the TMC’s list of nominees.

O’Brien, Ray and Sen have completed two terms in the Rajya Sabha and are now looking forward to have their third consecutive term in the Upper House. Saket Gokhale, Samirul Islam and Prakash Chik Baraik are the three new faces named by TMC as candidates for the July 24 Rajya Sabha polls.

Gokhale is national spokesperson of TMC. Prakash Chik Baraik is a TMC leader from northern Bengal. Samirul Islam is president of Bango Sanskriti Mancha and a minority leader.

While the EC notified election to fill up six vacancies in the Rajyav Sabha from West Bengal, byelection has been notified to fill up the vacancy created by the resignation of TMC member Luzinho Faleiro in April.

Victory of TMC nominees in six out of the seven seats is assured.

The Trinamool Congress has 216 MLAs in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly.