India, Feb. 18 -- The Election Commission of India's (ECI) announcement on Wednesday, that elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states will be held on March 16, has set off intense political speculation in West Bengal, particularly over whom the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will nominate for at least four of the five seats from the state that are due to fall vacant on April 2.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holding 75 of the 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal against the ruling TMC's 215, the opposition party can comfortably secure one Rajya Sabha seat through first-preference votes. The Congress and Left, which have had no MLAs in the state since 2021, are out of contention.

The terms of TMC MPs Subrata Bakshi, Ritabrata Baner...