New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday announced the name of six candidates who will be vying for the coveted Rajya Sabha seat in the elections, slated for later this month.
Those among the most noted include senior party leader Derek O’Brien, with others being Dola Sen, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Samirul Islam and Prakash Chik Baraik.
What has caught the attention of all is naming of Saket Gokhale as party’s candidate for Rajya Sabha polls.
The Rajya Sabha elections are set to be held on July 24. The Election Commission recently released the dates for election on 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Goa, Gujarat, and West Bengal.
Why Saket Gokhale’s nomination riles up BJP
Saket Gokhale is a regular face on Television channels and known for being Modi-baiter. The RTI activist has often targeted Prime Minister as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of ‘dismantling’ the state agencies and browbeating them to act against Opposition govts.
I’m extremely grateful to my leaders @MamataOfficial & @abhishekaitc for fielding me as a candidate for election as Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha.
I’m overwhelmed by their faith in me & for giving this opportunity to a young middle-class boy who comes from a non-political… https://t.co/q13h9F79up
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) July 10, 2023
Going overboard in his criticism of Modi government, Saket Gokhale was arrested last year over fake & misleading tweet on Prime Minister.
The TMC leader reportedly shared a fake tweet which claimed that Gujarat govt spent over Rs 30 crore for PM Modi’s visit to Morbi, after bridge collapse led to loss of many lives.
Saket Gokhale joined Mamata-led TMC last year and was even made party’s National Spokesperson.
Notably, Saket was erstwhile a close aide of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
Saket, in past few years, has ruffled many feathers with his accusations. Last year, a Meghalaya-based eco-tourism development infrastructure had sued the activist after he leveled charges of over Rs 600 financial misappropriation by the company.
