Padma Bhushan awardee Swapan Dasgupta leads from Bengal's Rashbehari constituency

Padma Bhushan awardee and former Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta is contesting the elections from Rashbehari as a BJP candidate.

Updated on: May 4, 2026, 14:59:31 IST

By Aditi Anand

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Swapan Dasgupta of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading from Bengal’s Rashbehari constituency. He is an Indian journalist, author, and former member of the Rajya Sabha, and has played a significant role in shaping centre-right discourse in India.

Swapan Dasgupta during a political campaign at Bolpur ( West Bengal) (Facebook)

He was inducted into the Rajya Sabha in 2016 as an eminent personality in the field of literature, by Bhartiya Janta Party ( BJP) In recognition of his contribution to journalism and public thought, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015.

Since the early 1990s, he has actively participated in India’s political discourse, supporting developments such as the Mandal Commission recommendations and the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which were significant in shaping a broader right-wing political identity.

In 2021, he resigned from the Rajya Sabha to contest the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections from Tarakeswar as a BJP candidate, where he was defeated by Ramendu Sinharay from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) by a margin of over 7,000 votes. He was later renominated to the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of his original term, sparking controversy.

5 key facts about him :

Swapan Dasgupta is a former nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, inducted in 2016 as an eminent personality in literature, where he contributed to debates and discussions on political and social issues
Dasgupta was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2015, which is India’s third-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his contributions to literature
He is an established author, having written books such as Awakening Bharat Mata, The India That Is Bharat, and The Ayodhya Dispute, which largely reflect his views on Indian politics, nationalism, and identity
In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, he contested from the Tarakeswar constituency on a BJP ticket but lost to a candidate from the All India Trinamool Congress by a margin of over 7,000 votes.
Dasgupta is contesting the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Rashbehari constituency against TMC's incumbent MLA Debashish Kumar.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditi Anand
Aditi Anand is an undergraduate student of English at Miranda House, University of Delhi, with an interest in media and the shifting dynamics of public discourse. She is particularly curious about how narratives are shaped, circulated, and received in contemporary spaces. Her work is informed by close observation and an engagement with everyday life, often examining the intersections of personal experience and broader social contexts. She is drawn to questions of voice, representation, and the ways in which perception is influenced by both language and environment. Beyond the newsroom, she is interested in literature and enjoys writing poetry, approaching it as a space for reflection and creative exploration alongside her analytical work. Her writing aims to balance clarity with nuance, focusing on presenting ideas in a way that is accessible while still engaging with their complexity. She approaches writing with intent and attentiveness, aiming to contribute meaningfully to conversations while continuing to develop a voice that is thoughtful and grounded.Read More

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