BJP names Ananta Maharaj as RS candidate from Bengal

Kolkata, July 12 The BJP on Wednesday named Rajbanshi leader Ananta Maharaj as its Rajya Sabha candidate from West Bengal.

The polls are scheduled for July 24.

BJP Lok Sabha member and the Union minister of state for home affairs, Nisith Pramanik met Ananta Maharaj at his residence on Tuesday, and finalised his nomination for the Upper House.

"I am extremely happy to be nominated. I will submit my nomination soon," said Maharaj, who is also one of the important leaders of Greater Cooch People's Association.

Maharaj will submit his nomination on Thursday, which is the last day of nomination.

On July 10, Trinamool Congressannounced the names of sixcandidates for the forthcoming polls for seven Rajya Sabha seats.

Of the six candidates announced by the Trinamool Congress leadership, three have been re-nominated. They areDerek O’Brien, Dola Sen and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy. The three new faces are Samirul Islam, Prakash Chik Baraik and the party's national spokesperson Saket Gokhale, who mainly operates from Gujarat.

Shanta Chhetri and Sushmita Dev were not given re-nomination.

As per the numerical strength of Trinamool Congress and BJP in the West Bengal Assembly, victory of six Trinamool Congress candidates and one BJP candidate is assured. So unless Trinamool Congress fields any candidate for the seventh seat it can be said for certain that there will be no polling on July 24.