Trinamool Congress (TMC), the ruling party in West Bengal, has nominated senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy and three others for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to be held on March 16. Apart from Guruswamy, Mamata Banerjee’s party has fielded minister Babul Supriyo, former Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, and actor Koel Mallick as candidates.
“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 its announcement posted on X.
Notably, Guruswamy could become India’s first openly LGBTQ Member of Parliament once elected to the Upper House.
Who is Menaka Guruswamy?
A senior advocate of the Supreme Court, Guruswamy was among the lawyers who argued the historic constitutional case, which resulted in homosexuality being decriminalised in India after Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was struck down in 2018.
She started her career in 1997 under former Attorney General of India Ashok Desai, whom she regards as her mentor. During this time, she worked mainly on litigation and constitutional matters, according to an excerpt from “Rising: 30 Women Who Changed India” by Kiran Manral.
About a year and a half later, she went to Oxford for higher studies. In 2001, after finishing her BCL at Oxford and her LLM from Harvard, she worked briefly as an associate at Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York. She later returned to India and settled in New Delhi.
{{/usCountry}}About a year and a half later, she went to Oxford for higher studies. In 2001, after finishing her BCL at Oxford and her LLM from Harvard, she worked briefly as an associate at Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York. She later returned to India and settled in New Delhi.
{{/usCountry}}She was included in Foreign Policy magazine’s 2019 list of 100 most influential Global Thinkers and, together with her partner Arundhati Katju, featured in Time magazine’s 2019 list of 100 most influential people.
Notably, Guruswamy also has her portrait displayed at Milner Hall in Rhodes House at the University of Oxford, making her the first Indian and only the second woman to receive the honour, according to the book excerpt.
Guruswamy recently represented the TMC in court proceedings challenging Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches at the I-PAC's offices.
If elected, Guruswamy would become the nation’s first openly queer Member of Parliament.