TMC Announces Rajya Sabha Picks: Kumar, Guruswamy, Supriyo, Koel Mallick

Trinamool Congress on Friday unveiled its Rajya Sabha candidates for Bengal, naming four contenders for the March 16 elections. The lineup includes Rajeev Kumar, the former West Bengal director general of police who recently retired after stints as state DGP and Kolkata Police commissioner; Menaka Guruswamy, a Supreme Court lawyer known for her role in the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2018; Babul Supriyo, a cabinet minister who previously served as BJP MP from Asansol; and Koel Mallick, a popular actor with a broad following in the state.

Guruswamy's candidature is being watched closely, as she could become the first person from the LGBTQIA+ community to reach Parliament if elected, a historic milestone in Indian politics. The TMC noted the four picks in a post on X, and signaled its intent to hold four of Bengal's five Rajya Sabha seats in the election, with the BJP expected to take the fifth.

Terms of several current Rajya Sabha members from Bengal end this year: Subrata Bakshi, Ritabrata Banerjee, Saket Gokhale, and CPI(M)’s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. Mausam Noor’s term would have ended on April 2, but she returned to the Congress and resigned from the Rajya Sabha in January. A TMC leader said Bakshi’s age and health issues influenced the party's decision not to renominate Ritabrata, and Gokhale could be given a new role.

Koel Mallick is a widely followed actor, while Supriyo brings a singer-turned-politician profile and previously represented Asansol in the Lok Sabha. The party has not yet disclosed the final panel, but the declared names already underline a blend of public administration, law, entertainment, and politics.

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