The nomination of the Left Front candidate for the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, Bikash Bhattacharya of the CPI(M), was rejected on Monday. This paved the way for the victory of the lone Congress nominee and five Trinamool Congress candidates.
After the withdrawal of nominations was completed during the day, Trinamool candidates Derek O’Brien, Dola Sen, Manas Ranjan Bhunia, Shanta Chhetri and Sukhendu Shekhar Ray and Congress candidate Pradip Bhattacharya were elected unopposed.
“Congratulations to the five AITC candidates elected today to Rajya Sabha and the sixth supported by us,” West Bengal CM and Trinamool chairperson Mamata Banerjee said in a tweet.
Ties in trouble
More than the elections to the Upper House it is the Trinamool’s support to the Congress candidate that has raised questions on the future of the Left-Congress alliance. The Left Front and the Congress had entered into an electoral understanding during the 2016 State Assembly polls.
Speaking to journalists, Pradip Bhattacharya tried to explain the TMC support to Congress in the larger political realities of the country.
Earlier in the day, the nomination of Bikash Bhattacharya was rejected on the ground that an additional affidavit was submitted after the deadline on July 28, the last date for filing of papers.
The Left blamed the Trinamool Congress for the developments.
