Subrata Bakshi, Dinesh Trivedi file nominations for Rajya Sabha

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha candidates Subrata Bakshi and Dinesh Trivedi filed nominations on Wednesday. Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had on Sunday nominated Arpita Ghosh, Mausam Noor, Dinesh Trivedi and Subrata Bakshi as the party's candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

Noor and Ghosh are scheduled to submit their nominations on Thursday. Banerjee had announced the names in a tweet on International Women's Day, stating: "I am glad to announce that @AITCofficial will be nominating Arpita Ghosh, Mausam Noor, Dinesh Trivedi & Subrata Bakshi to the Rajya Sabha."

Stating her party's steps towards empowering women, she mentioned in the same tweet: "As a part of my constant endeavour towards woman empowerment, I am proud that half of our nominations are women #International Women's Day."

Bakshi and Trivedi on Wednesday submitted their nomination papers at the state Assembly in the presence of their party colleagues, including Aroop Biswas, Tapas Roy, Samir Chakraborty and Jyotipriya Mallick. After filing the nominations, Bakshi said: "Today I filed nominations following the directions of Mamata Banerjee. We are soldiers of the party and Mamata Banerjee. We are always ready to follow whatever directions we get. I will follow and work as per her directions. I am ready to work wherever she sends me, whether in Kolkata or Delhi." Bakshi is a former MP from Kolkata South Lok Sabha constituency. He didn't contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and instead devoted time for the party's work.

Election for the 55 Rajya Sabha seats including five from the state is going to take place on March 26.