Jawhar Sircar set to be elected too Rajya Sabha

Former Prasar Bharati CEO has no competitor, papers are valid

Jawhar Sircar.: File picture

TT Bureau, PTI   |   Calcutta   |   30.07.21: Trinamul Congress candidate for Rajya Sabha by-election, Jawhar Sircar, will be elected unopposed as his nomination paper was found valid during scrutiny on Friday, sources in the Bengal Assembly secretariat said.

The BJP has already announced that it would not field any candidate for the by-poll to the Upper House of Parliament, paving the way for Sircar, a former CEO of Prasar Bharati, to be elected without contest from the state.

Sircar's name is expected to be officially announced as the winner on August 2, the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers.

Assembly secretariat sources said that the nomination papers of Sircar were examined for over half an hour in presence of the candidate, TMC Chief Whip in the House Nirmal Ghosh and his deputy Tapas Roy.

"Sircar's nomination papers were stated to be in perfect order by the returning officer," Ghosh later told reporters.

The Rajya Sabha seat was vacated by former TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi earlier this year, necessitating the by-election which is supposed to be conducted on August 9.

The former Prasar Bharati CEO filed his nomination as the TMC candidate on July 28.

"Sircar spent nearly 42 years in public service.... His contribution shall help us serve our country even better," the TMC had said while announcing his candidature.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, on Thursday said that the saffron party will not nominate any candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Trivedi.