Swapan Dasgupta, Mahesh Jethmalani nominated to Rajya Sabha

The President nominates renowned personalities to the Upper House on the advice of the government

Senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani and BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta were on Tuesday nominated as members of the Rajya Sabha.

Dasgupta, who had quit the Rajya Sabha in March to contest the West Bengal assembly elections, will serve as a member of the upper house for the remainder of his term till April 24, 2022.

Jethmalani, a noted lawyer and the son of jurist late Ram Jethmalani, has been nominated to the seat that fell vacant after the demise of sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra.

The term of Jethmalani, who has been associated with the BJP, will be till July 13, 2024 – the remaining tenure of Mohapatra who had died of Covid-19 last month.

The Constitution empowers the President to nominate individuals having professional knowledge or practical experience in matters related to literature, science, art and social service to the Rajya Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha is a 250-member House of which 238 members are elected by MLAs of different states while 12 are nominated by the President.

Dasgupta was first nominated to the Rajya Sabha on April 25, 2016 but and had not mentioned affiliation to any political party. Trinamool Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra had raised objection to Dasgupta’s continuance in the Upper House after BJP fielded the journalist-turned Parliamentarian as its candidate from Tarakeshwar constituency for the elections in West Bengal.

Dasgupta had quit after Moitra's objections and now makes a re-entry to the Upper House.

Jethmalani has been a member of the BJP National Executive and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2009 against Congress leader Priya Dutt from Mumbai North Central seat.

Jethmalani had quit the BJP National Executive in 2012 after differences with the then BJP President Nitin Gadkari.