BJP candidate Swapan Dasgupta will have to resign from Rajya Sabha; claims Mahua Moitra
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has said that Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta could be disqualified for filing nomination as a BJP candidate under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
Mahua Moitra raised the issue on Twitter and attached the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution to her tweet. Mahua also marked the statement with a red ink.
The marked section clearly states that a member nominated by the Rajya Sabha, if he joins any party after 6 months of taking oath as an MP, his membership is deemed revoked.
Mahua Moitra tweeted, “Swapan Dasgupta is BJP candidate for WB polls. 10th Schedule of Constitution says nominated RS member to be disqualified if he joins any political party AFTER expiry of 6 months from oath. He was sworn in April 2016, remains unallied. Must be disqualified NOW for joining BJP.”
In another tweet, Moitra said, "As of today, Dasgupta remains nominated and not a member of the BJP."
Moitra also tweeted a screenshot of the Rajya Sabha website where Swapan Dasgupta is the nominated member. In other words, there is no mention of his BJP in the Rajya Sabha record. In another tweet, Mahua said that Swapan Dasgupta has no difficulty in contesting the polls. But he will have to resign from the Rajya Sabha or his membership will be revoked.
This time Swapan Dasgupta will contest from Tarakeswar. The BJP has fielded several MPs, including him, in the Assembly polls. Swapan Dasgupta has already been seen campaigning in various areas.