Jaishankar, O’Brien among 11 to be elected unopposed to RS

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien are among 11 MPs set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in the July 24 polls. The Rajya Sabha polls were necessitated as a result of six vacancies in West Bengal, three in Gujarat and one in Goa.

With no contest against six candidates fielded by TMC in West Bengal, none against three BJP candidates in Gujarat, and no opposition to the lone BJP nominee in Goa, no voting will be held on the seats on July 24. TMC has already won one bypoll to the Rajya Sabha arising due to the resignation of former Goa CM Luizinho Faleiro in April.

In West Bengal, apart from O’Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Dola Sen, Bangla Sanskriti Mancha president Samirul Islam and TMC’s Alipurduar district president Prakash Chik Baraik are set to be elected unopposed. RTI activist and TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale, on the other hand, won the Rajya Sabha bypoll unopposed.