Rajya Sabha Polls: TMC Announces Candidature Of Derek O'Brien, Saket Gokhale, 4 Others

Rajya Sabha Polls: The election for ten Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat, Goa, and West Bengal will take place on July 24.

File photos of Derek O'Brien, Saket Gokhale ( Image Source :Getty/PTI )

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.

O'Brien is the TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha, while Ray is the deputy chief whip. The newcomers on the list are Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam, TMC's Alipurduar district president Prakash Chik Baraik, and RTI activist and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale.

"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.

A seventh Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal is also vacant after former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April. A bypoll will be held in that seat.

The election for ten Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat, Goa, and West Bengal will take place on July 24, according to the Election Commission of India.

Three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat will go to polls as Dineshchandra Jemalbhai Anavadiya, Lokhandwala Jugalsinh Mathurji, S Jaishankar will retire on August 18.

READ | Election For 10 Rajya Sabha Seats In Goa, Gujarat And West Bengal To Take Place On July 24

Jaishankar will file his nomination papers on Monday for the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat, PTI reported. BJP has, however, not officially declared the names of candidates for the three Rajya Sabha seats.

Last week, the Congress said it would not field candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat as it did not have enough MLAs in the 182-member state Assembly.

In the 2022 Gujarat Assembly election, BJP won a record 156 seats. The Congress saw its worst performance since the state was formed by bagging just 17 seats.

Out of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat, eight are currently held by the BJP and rest by the Congress.

Schedule For Rajya Sabha Polls: 

• Issue of notification: July 6
• Last date of nominations: July 13
• Scrutiny of nominations: July 14
• Last date of withdrawal of candidatures: July 17
• Date of poll: July 24
• Time of voting: 9 am to 4 pm
• Counting of votes: July 24 at 5 pm
• Date before election shall be completed: July 26