BJP not to contest West Bengal Rajya Sabha by-election

BJP on Thursday announced that it will not field any candidate in the Rajya Sabha by-poll in West Bengal. This will lead to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Jawhar Sircar getting elected unopposed.

The decision was announced by BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.

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In an implied reference to the TMC’s majority in the Assembly, he said that the results of the by-election are already known to everyone.

“Today is the last date for nomination of RS by-poll in WB. BJP is not putting up any candidate for this seat. The outcome of the poll is defined and known to all. Our fight against this irrational govt will continue,” tweeted Adhikari on Thursday.

Sircar, a former Prasar Bharati CEO, filed his nomination on Wednesday. He has been critical of the BJP government at the Centre as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in relation to the Union Government’s action against former Chief Secretary of West Bengal Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

The Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after former TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi resigned earlier this year.

While TMC has 213 MLAs in the State Assembly, the BJP has 77 in 294 Member Assembly.

The Left Front and the Congress drew a blank in the Assembly election; their alliance partner the Indian Secular Front (ISF) managed to win one seat.

The Election Commission (EC) had earlier announced the by-election to the Rajya Sabha seat in the State will be held on August 9.

A delegation of six TMC MPs met EC officials on July 15 urging them to hold by-polls in the seven Assembly seats in West Bengal.

The by-polls are crucial as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has to get elected to continue in her post six months after taking the oath.