Swapan Dasgupta Resigns as Rajya Sabha Member, To Contest on BJP Ticket in West Bengal

On Mar 16, 2021

West Bengal: Swapan Dasgupta on Tuesday resigned as a Rajya Sabha member after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded him as a party candidate in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

After the TMC question, Swapan Dasgupta sent his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu. Now he is free to contest assembly elections in West Bengal. Swapan, who is counted among the big faces of Bengal politics, has made Dasgupta a candidate from Tarakeswar assembly seat in Hooghly district.

In fact, TMC MP Mahua Moitra demanded the abolition of the Rajya Sabha’s membership of Swapan Dasgupta. Citing the 10th schedule of the constitution, Mahua Moitra said that if a nominated Rajya Sabha MP joins a party 6 months after taking the oath, then there is a rule to disqualify him for membership of Rajya Sabha.

Swapan Dasgupta is BJP candidate for WB polls.
10th Schedule of Constitution says nominated RS member to be disqualified if he joins any political party AFTER expiry of 6 months from oath.
He was sworn in April 2016, remains unallied.
Must be disqualified NOW for joining BJP. pic.twitter.com/d3CDc9dNCe
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) March 15, 2021

Mahua Moitra had said in his tweet, ‘Swapan Dasgupta is BJP candidate in West Bengal elections, the 10th schedule of the constitution states that if someone joins any political party after 6 months with oath then a Rajya Sabha member Is disqualified. He was sworn in April 2016. Should now be disqualified for joining BJP.

In this case, Swapan Dasgupta had said, ‘I know about the rules, if this question arose after nomination, then there would have been something to say in it. Now when I do not fill the nomination, I do not have to comment on it, but I can tell so much that the nomination will be filled only after following all the rules.

Swapan Dasgupta was nominated as a Rajya Sabha member in April 2016. He is also a journalist by profession. He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan in the year 2015 in the field of literature and education. Swapan Dasgupta has also served as a Junior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford.

Swapan Dasgupta is also named in the four MPs who have been fielded by the BJP for the West Bengal assembly elections. BJP has fielded Swapan Dasgupta from the Tarakeswar assembly seat in West Bengal. Meanwhile, TMC questioned his Rajya Sabha membership, after which Swapan Dasgupta has resigned.