All 4 Trinamool candidates win Rajya Sabha seats unopposed
Trinamool Congress secured victories in all the four Rajya Sabha seats it nominated candidates in from Bengal—Sagarika Ghose, Sushmita Dev, Mamata Bala Thakur and Nadimul Haque—while BJP clinched one seat from the state, which went to state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya.
In the elections held on Tuesday, February 20, all five were elected unopposed by MLAs in the Bengal Assembly, according to sources.
The Congress, lacking an MLA in the Assembly and with Trinamool Congress declining to offer a seat, lost its incumbent position.
The TMC stated: “Our esteemed members of the Council of States, including Sagarika Ghose, Sushmita Dev, Mamata Thakur and Md. Nadimul Haque, have assumed their roles in the Rajya Sabha. Upholding a strong women-centric ethos, our Rajya Sabha MPs are poised to confront the BJP zamindars and endeavour towards revitalising the essence of a diverse, multi-religious, multi-caste, multi-linguistic and inclusive India.”
Sagarika Ghose is a prominent journalist, columnist and author. She has contributed to publications such as The Times of India, Outlook and The Indian Express, and has authored four books—two biographies, Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and two novels, The Gin Drinkers and Blind Faith.
Sushmita Dev is the daughter of veteran Indian National Congress leader and long-time MP and Union minister, the late Santosh Mohan Dev. She was a sitting MP in the Rajya Sabha. Having joined the All India Trinamool Congress from the Congress in 2021, she currently serves as a national spokesperson.
Mamata Thakur was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2015 but lost in the 2019 general election. She is a leader of the Matua Mahasangha religious sect.
Mohammed Nadimul Haque is a professional journalist and writer. He, like Sushmita Dev, is also a sitting member of the house. He is the owner and editor of Akhbar-e-Mashriq, one of Bengal’s most influential Urdu newspapers.
