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To fight for a better Bengal, says Swapan Dasgupta after quitting Rajya Sabha
Dasgupta’s name was announced as the BJP candidate from Tarakeshwar assembly constituency on Sunday.
Swapan Dasgupta, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate for the Tarakeshwar assembly constituency in West Bengal, said on Tuesday he resigned from the Rajya Sabha to work for the state. The Rajya Sabha lawmaker sent his resignation letter to chairman M Venkaiah Naidu’s office, secretariat officials confirmed on Tuesday after a row broke out over the BJP naming him as a candidate in the West Bengal assembly elections to be held in eight phases from March 27.
“I have resigned from the Rajya Sabha today to commit myself totally to the fight for a better Bengal. I hope to file my nomination as BJP candidate for the Tarakeshwar Assembly seat in the next few days,” Dasgupta, whose name was announced as the BJP candidate from the assembly constituency on Sunday, said in a tweet.
Also read | Congress seeks clarification on Swapan Dasgupta’s candidature for assembly polls
Earlier, the Congress party wrote to Naidu seeking clarification about nominated MP Dasgupta contesting in the March-April West Bengal assembly polls. Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh pointed out that Dasgupta has neither resigned from the House before contesting the election nor has he joined any party.
“Can a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha who has not formally joined a political party within six months of nomination and continues as a non-party, nominated member contest elections to Parliament or the assembly without first resigning as a nominated member?” Jairam asked in his letter.
Also read | Union minister and 3 sitting MPs mark BJP’s Bengal nominees for 3rd, 4th phases
The Congress’ letter came after Trinamool Congress lawmaker Mohua Moitra alleged that Dasgupta has violated the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and called for his disqualification from the Upper House.
The name of Dasgupta, a senior journalist who was nominated to the Upper House in April 2016, is listed under the category of nominated members on the Rajya Sabha website, unlike some others nominated MPs such as Rakesh Sinha, Subramaniam Swami and Roopa Ganguly who after being nominated aligned with the BJP.
