Why BJP nominated Rahul Sinha for Rajya Sabha from Bengal

BJP's Rahul Sinha has been nominated for the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal and joins two other saffron party leaders in the Upper House: Samik Bhattacharya and Ananta Maharaj. A confident Sinha was seen at the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday to file his nomination. He has contested assembly elections but never won. Being a member of the Upper House is his chance to prove his mettle on the big stage. What propelled Sinha to the big league is his contribution as the state president of the BJP and national secretary. He is one of the five members from West Bengal in the fray for the Rajya Sabha polls on March 16. Though Sinha has not been a strong mass leader, the BJP believes backing him is their way of ensuring that the party has a strong presence from the state in the Upper House and showing that it values loyalty.

The BJP won 77 seats in the 2021 assembly elections and the numbers dipped further due to defections and demises, but the numbers should see Sinha through in Rajya Sabha. The other nominations from West Bengal are from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) – former state Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, Supreme Court lawyer Menaka Guruswamy, Cabinet Minister Babul Supriyo, and actor Koel Mallick for the remaining four seats. The TMC already has 10 MPs, with the terms of three—Saket Gokhale, Subrata Bakshi, and Ritabrata Banerjee—ending in April.

"Rahul Sinha is a very senior leader. He has been involved with the party for many years, and he remains as active today. So, this attitude of the party is very good. Senior leaders should be respected. The BJP takes care of every single worker," said Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday. He handed over the reins as state president to Bhattacharya and is currently not seen as a key player in the upcoming assembly elections. Sinha’s nomination signals the BJP is taking care of its old guard and honouring loyalty.

“We are 100 per cent confident of his victory. We extend our advance congratulations to the esteemed Mr. Rahul Sinha,” said Suvendu Adhikari on his social media post after accompanying Sinha to file his nomination.

Bhattacharya, who also accompanied Sinha to file his nomination, is another Rajya Sabha MP. He took charge as the BJP state president in 2025. Over the years, Bhattacharya’s loyalty to the saffron party has resulted in him becoming a key player in regional politics. He has spoken against the TMC in the Upper House on various issues and even moved a motion in December 2025 against compromised Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The BJP state president is also known to have strong ties with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In short, Bhattacharya is seen as a force to reckon with to speak for West Bengal on the national stage.

Ananta Maharaj, or Nagendra Roy, was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2023 and represents the indigenous Rajbanshi community in Cooch Behar district in North Bengal. Maharaj, though, has recently been cosying up to the TMC, sending feelers of a possible deflection from the saffron party. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee conferred Maharaj with the Banga Vibhushan, the highest state civilian award, on February 21, on International Language Day. While Mamata’s move to felicitate Maharaj was to promote Rajbanshi language and culture, the move raised questions on his cosying up to the TMC. Maharaj, however, says he has contributed to Hindi poetry. The award drew attention because of the timing, considering that the TMC is not strong in north Bengal. Votes of Cooch Behar’s indigenous Rajbanshi community go to the BJP. Maharaj, however, rubbished claims of party defection.