Trinamool Congress candidate and former Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar files his nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Kolkata on Thursday, March 5, 2026. Photo credit: X/ AITC
Both Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders from West Bengal filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (March 5). Four candidates were nominated from the ruling TMC party and one from the opposition BJP.
In the presence of senior leaders, TMC candidates former West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, State Minister Babul Supriyo, Supreme Court lawyer Menaka Guruswamy and actor Koel Mallick filed their nominations for the State Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, former BJP state president Rahul Sinha is their only candidate. State President Samik Bhattacharya and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari were present when he filed his nomination.
With the numbers in favor of the 294-member assembly, the TMC is expected to secure all the four seats and the BJP is set to secure one.
“As Mother Teresa said – I believe that God will not give me any responsibility that I cannot handle, I just wish that He would not trust it so much,” Kumar said while submitting his nomination. He further added that it is a great responsibility and honor.
Ms. Mallick said she feels blessed for this opportunity to serve people.
Election March 16
The Election Commission has announced that the elections for 37 Rajya Sabha seats in 10 states will be held on March 16. The votes will be counted on the same day.
“I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve in the upper house of Parliament, which is crucial in the context of lawmaking. . . . The values of equality and non-discrimination and the dignity of every citizen are what our Constitution speaks of. I will strive to uphold these values in Parliament every day,” Guruswamy said after filing her nomination.
The most prominent inclusion in the list was Rajeev Kumar, who served as the Director General of Police of West Bengal till January 2026. Mr Kumar is seen as close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Ms. Guruswamy represented the West Bengal government in various cases, including the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Hospital in August 2024. She also fought for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in India.
Supriyo the defector
Mr Supriyo is a two-time BJP MP from the Asansol constituency but joined the TMC in 2021 and was elected to the State Assembly and Ms Mallick is a prominent name in the Bengali television industry.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sinha is one of the senior-most members of the West Bengal BJP and the nomination is seen as a reward for his work in building the party’s base in the state in its early days when he was the state president.
Notably, Mr. Sinha lost the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2016 State Assembly elections.
But he never lost his cool. He was excited about the upper house nomination and said, “The party has given me an opportunity to file a nomination for the Rajyu Sabha and I will use this opportunity to speak about the problems faced by the people of West Bengal.”
Published – March 6, 2026 03:49 IST
