TMC nominates Jawhar Sircar for Rajya Sabha by-election
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Saturday nominated former bureaucrat Jawhar Sircar as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in the state.
The Election Commission had on July 16 said bypoll to the Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal vacated by Dinesh Trivedi earlier this year will be held on August 9.
"We are delighted to nominate Jawhar Sircar in the Upper House of Parliament," a party statement said.
There have been several instances in the recent past when Sircar has been vocal against the BJP-led government at the Centre. In the issue of transfer orders to former Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay in the end of May, Sircar had tweeted: "Have Modi Shah gone crazy? Just 1 working day left for West Bengal's Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyaya to retire — they have transferred him to Delhi! CM wanted 3 months extra. It's deliberate sabotage of Cyclone Relief, Covid Control + Revenge for 48% Bengal vote against BJP.". Currently, the retired bureaucrat utilises his experience to stand up for citizens' rights and for multiculturalism. Sircar spent nearly 42 years in public service and was also the former CEO of Prasar Bharati.
He is credited with introducing many new programmes to assist cultural organisations and their expressions. Sircar was successful in forging a significant number of cultural partnerships between India and other countries, and among his major credits are the Anish Kapoor exhibition from the UK and the holding of seven unique overseas exhibitions of the original paintings of Rabindra Nath Tagore, which had not left India's shores for more than 80 years. Reacting to his nomination, Sircar told a news agency: "I was a bureaucrat. I am not a political person but I would work for the development of the people and raise the issues concerning the masses in Parliament."
The bypoll to the Rajya Sabha seat from the state will be held if the Opposition BJP fields its candidate for the same, otherwise, the TMC candidate will be declared elected unopposed.
