TMC names ex-DGP Rajeev Kumar, Guruswamy for Rajya Sabha
TMC names ex-DGP Rajeev Kumar, Guruswamy for Rajya Sabha
Trinamool announces four Rajya Sabha nominees, including ex-DGP Rajeev Kumar and LGBTQ advocate Menaka Guruswamy, as it gears up for polls.
The Trinamool Congress on Friday announced four candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections, signaling a mix of security expertise, legal acumen, political experience and cultural appeal. The nominees are former West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, State Minister Babul Supriyo, Supreme Court lawyer Menaka Guruswamy, and Bengali film and television star Koel Mallick. Guruswamy’s nomination is notable because she could become India’s first LGBTQ+ parliamentarian, underscoring the party’s push for inclusive representation. Kumar, who led West Bengal’s police force until January, is seen as a trusted ally of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, even as he faced a show-cause notice after violence at a Salt Lake Stadium event in December 2025 attended by football icon Lionel Messi.
Supriyo, a two-time BJP MP from Asansol, switched to the Trinamool in 2021 and was elected to the West Bengal Assembly. Guruswamy has represented the West Bengal government in several cases, including the 2024 RG Kar Hospital rape-murder case, and her appointment to the Rajya Sabha is framed as bringing a legal mind to the chamber. Mallick, a prominent Bengali television and film actress, brings cultural and public-facing appeal to the party’s roster.
The party said in a social media post that it extends heartfelt congratulations to the nominees and pledges to uphold the party’s legacy of resilience and rights protection. The nominations come ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, which are critical for the governing party to secure its numbers. While the lineup broadens the party’s public-facing profile, it will inevitably invite scrutiny from opposition outfits, who have in recent years touted regional representation and expertise in the upper house.
