The announcement of Rajya Sabha elections has triggered sharp political churn in West Bengal. The Election Commission of India confirmed polls for 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states on March 16. This includes five seats from West Bengal that will fall vacant on April 2.
The ruling Trinamool Congress is expected to secure at least four seats. The party holds 215 of 294 Assembly seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party, with 75 MLAs, can comfortably win one seat. Congress and the Left remain out of contention due to zero MLAs since 2021.
The terms of TMC MPs Subrata Bakshi, Ritabrata Banerjee and Saket Gokhale end this year. CPI(M) MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya also completes his term. TMC MP Mausam Noor resigned earlier after rejoining the Congress.
Party sources say age and health may affect Bakshi’s renomination. Gokhale and Banerjee may continue due to strong performance. Final decisions rest with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee.
TMC may nominate a Muslim candidate for Noor’s vacant seat. BJP leaders say the party may target the CPI(M) seat. Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty is seen as a possible contender, pending central approval.
