The Congress on Thursday decided to field its sitting MP Pradip Bhattacharya for the sixth Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal, rejecting the Communist Party of India (Marxist) proposal to name an independent candidate it could support, reported The Times of India. The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has supported the Congress candidate, The Indian Express said.
The Congress leadership in West Bengal was upset over the CPI(M) central committee’s decision to reject its proposal to field CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury for the Upper House with Congress support. A top CPI(M) leader seemed to disagree with his party’s decision. “Now we have managed to cement the Congress-Trinamool Congress relationship. We pushed the Congress into Trinamool arms, when it was willing to come with us.”
The Trinamool Congress has fielded its candidates from five Rajya Sabha seats, and has the numbers in the West Bengal Assembly to ensure that all five win. The Congress has 39 MLAs in the Assembly, while the CPI(M) has 33. One needs 42 votes to elect a candidate. Thus, both the Congress and CPI(M) require support from other parties for its candidate for the sixth Rajya Sabha seat.
The last date to file nominations is July 28.
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