Derek O’Brien, among 6 others nominated by Trinamool for Rajya Sabha polls

Kolkata, 10th July 2023: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced their Rajya Sabha candidates on Monday, including national spokesperson Saket Gokhale and five others. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien, MPs Dola Sen and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and TMC members Samirul Islam and Prakash Chik Baraik were also named, in addition to Gokhale.

While O’Brien, Sen, and Ray will be re-elected, this is the first time Gokhale has been nominated as a Rajya Sabha candidate. Along with Gokhale, two other fresh faces are Islam, president of the Bangla Sanskriti Mancha, and Baraik, Alipurduar district president of the TMC.

Expressing his gratitude to the West Bengal chief minister and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Gokhale tweeted, that he is overwhelmed by the oarty’s faith in him and thanked them for providing him with the opportunity to do the same.

In addition to O’Brien, Ray, and Sen, the terms of Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya, TMC Assam leader Sushmita Dev, and TMC Darjeeling leader Shanta Chhetri expired, leaving these six seats empty.
Former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro resigned as a TMC MP in April, leaving a seventh Rajya Sabha seat empty. On July 24, a byelection will be place in that seat in addition to the polls for the other six seats.