TC, Cong win unopposed as CPM nominee disqualified

KOLKATA: West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress bagged five Rajya Sabha seats, and Congress won one unopposed after the nomination of CPM candidate Bikash Bhattacharya was rejected on Monday.

After much drama, the election authorities declared invalid Bhattacharya’s nomination, on the ground that an additional affidavit was submitted only after the 3 pm deadline on July 28 — the last date for filing of papers for the August 8 polls for the six seats.

With Left Front-backed Bhattacharya out of the race, all the six remaining candidates were declared uncontested after the expiry of the 3 pm deadline for the withdrawal of candidatures on Monday.

It will be the second upper house term for Trinamool leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien, and two other sitting members Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Dola Sen.

The maiden entrants parliament are Trinamool’s Bhunia and Santa Chhetri.

Former state minister Bhunia, who switched over to the Trinamool from the Congress last September, resigned recently from his assembly seat Sabong in West Midnapore district.

Chhetri is a three-time Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) legislator from Kurseong in the northern Bengal’s Darjeeling hills.

It will also be the second six-year Rajya Sabha stint for Congress’ Pradip Bhattacharya. — IANS into Manas