The number of Muslim Rajya Sabha Members from West Bengal decreases

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata: The number of Muslim Members of Rajya Sabha from West Bengal has gone down after the recent election for six seats, thanks to two reasons: the debacle of Left Front particularly Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the Assembly Poll of May 2011; Disinterest of the ruling Trinamool Congress even though its quota in the Upper House of Indian Parliament increased by 3 due to its landslide victory in the state poll.

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Last week six candidates for Rajya Sabha from West Bengal were elected unopposed as their parties had required votes and there was no extra candidate in the fray. The election though was scheduled to be held today (22nd July). The term of five Rajya Sabha members from West Bengal was to end on 18th August. They are Sitaram Yechury, Brinda Karat, Mohammad Amin (all three from CPI-M), Abani Roy of RSP and Swapan Sadhan Basu of Trinamul Congress. One seat was vacant for last six months after the passing of eminent Economist Arjun Sengupta, who was elected to the RS with the support of CPI-M and Congress.

Out of three, CPI-M could resend only Sitaram Yechury as the party has reduced to 40 seats from 176 in the state assembly, in effect reducing its strength in RS by two members. CPI-M held a meeting where some party leaders proposed for Md Salim as a Muslim Minority representation. They held that this may revive Muslim vote of the party, shifting of which led to the historic defeat of the party in West Bengal. However, at the end they could be unanimous on Yechury. Now both Brinda Karat and Mohammad Amin are out of RS.

Amin was one of the three Muslim Members in Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. The other two – who are still serving – are Ahmad Saeed Malihabadi (Independent) and Moinul Hassan of CPI-M

Due to huge increase of its MLAs in the Assembly, Trinamool Congress of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee increased its strength in RS by three members. In the recent Rajya Sabha poll the party got its four candidates elected. The party decided to send some personalities believed to be close to Banerjee. Though the party had four seats at disposal, it did not choose a Muslim candidate. Party’s newly elected RS members are: Derek O’ Brian, Debabrata Bandopadhyay, Srinjoy Bose and Sukhendu Shekhar Roy Chowdhury.

As for Congress, it was first time after 1999 that the party was able to send its candidate in Rajya Sabha from West Bengal. It is said some members of the state Congress committee proposed the name of former MLA Mannan Hossain, who was very close to former PM Rajiv Gandhi. But finally, the party selected West Bengal Congress president Pradeep Bhttacharjee.

West Bengal has a quota of 16 seats in Rajya Sabha. Below is the list of 16 Members before the poll for six seats on July 13, 2011. Bold names are of those six members for whose seats election was held.

Members of Rajya Sabha from West Bengal before the recent election