The ruling Trinamul Congress on Saturday nominated party’s trade union leader Ritabrata Banerjee as its candidate for the coming Rajya Sabha (RS) by-election scheduled to be held on 20 December.

After the resignation of former bureaucrat Jawhar Sircar as the RS MP during the second week of September in protest against the RG Kar Hospital rape-murder incident, the bypoll was necessitated. Mr Sircar, a retired IAS officer, also had resigned from the party.

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“… We are pleased to announce the candidature of Ritabrata Banerjee for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha by-election,” the party said today in a post on X.

“We extend our heartfelt wishes to him. May he work towards upholding Trinamool’s endurable legacy of indomitable spirit and continue advocating for the rights of every Indian,” the post stated.

By-elections will be held in the sole vacant Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal, apart from seats in three other states.

Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of the Trinamul Congress, has also expressed his best wishes for the INTTUC state president. Mr Banerjee in his post on X today wrote hailing the decision: “This recognition is truly well-deserved, reflecting the tireless effort @RitabrataBanerj has invested in strengthening the organization and advocating for trade union workers across WB. While it may take time, commitment, performance and hard work are always rewarded in the end.”

Ritabrata was brought into the Trinamul Congress with the initiative of the party’s national general secretary.

He was with the CPM till 2017 and was its Rajya Sabha MP, before joining the ruling party in the state. The CPM had expelled him on charges of several controversial issues.

On 8 September, Trinamul Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar after stepping down from the upper House of the Parliament had in a two-page letter written to the Trinamul chief poured his grievances over the rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Hospital, the administration’s repressive steps to curb the protests and the corruption charges levelled at the ruling party from time to time.