TMC's Koel Mallick, BJP's Rahul Sinha file Rajya Sabha nominations

Four Trinamool Congress candidates, including actress Koel Mallick and minister Babul Supriyo, filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha 2026 polls in West Bengal. BJP's Rahul Sinha also filed his nomination for the biennial elections on March 16.

Four candidates from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including Koel Mallick and Menaka Guruswamy, filed their nominations for the Rajya Sabha 2026 elections on Thursday. The list of Rajya Sabha candidates from TMC also included Rajeev Kumar and Babul Supriyo, reflecting the party's strategic selection for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, in West Bengal, BJP's Rajya Sabha candidate Rahul Sinha arrived at the West Bengal Assembly to file his nomination. On Wednesday, Sinha said, "The BJP has proven that a worker is great. It sent a message to those who are waiting for an opportunity that the party takes care of every worker. This has instilled a new passion in everyone. All of us have to protect and purify Bengal together."

TMC's Diverse Candidate Profiles

Trinamool Congress had announced Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar, Menaka Guruswamy, and Koel Mallick as its candidates for the biennial Rajya Sabha polls. Babul Supriyo, a former Union Minister who later joined the Trinamool Congress, currently serves as Cabinet Minister of Information Technology and Electronics of the Government of West Bengal. Rajeev Kumar is a former Director General of Police of West Bengal. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy is known for her legal work in constitutional matters, while Koel Mallick is a prominent figure in the Bengali film industry.

Election Schedule Details

The polling for the upcoming biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm. According to the press note, the term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. The last date of nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. The candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9.

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