TMC names Rajeev Kumar, Babul Supriyo, Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick for Rajya Sabha polls

Mamata Banerjee

The Trinamool Congress  (TMC) on Friday announced four candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

“We are pleased to announce the candidature of Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar (Former DGP, West Bengal), Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.  We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to them. May they continue to uphold Trinamool’s enduring legacy of resilience and its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every Indian,” the party said in a statement on its social media.

Babul Supriyo was elected to the Lok Sabha from Asansol on a BJP ticket in 2014 and 2019. He resigned as an MP and defected to Trinamool in 2021, and was elected to the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha from Ballygunge in 2022.

Rajeev Kumar previously served as Director General of Police and earlier as Commissioner of Kolkata Police. Menaka Guruswamy is a Supreme Court advocate, while Koel Mallick is a well-known actor in the Bengali film industry.

We are pleased to announce the candidature of Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar (Former DGP, West Bengal), Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to them. May they continue to uphold Trinamool’s…

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— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) February 27, 2026

The Election Commission's  announcement on February 18 that elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states will be held on March 16, had set off intense political speculation in West Bengal, particularly over whom the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will nominate for at least four of the five seats from the state that are due to fall vacant on April 2.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holding 75 of the 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal against the ruling TMC’s 215, the opposition party can comfortably secure one Rajya Sabha seat through first-preference votes. The Congress and Left, which have had no MLAs in the state since 2021, are out of contention.