TMC Member Sushmita Dev Elected To Rajya Sabha Unopposed

Sushmita Dev Rajya Sabha Bypolls: Former All India Women Congress chief Sushmita Dev who recently joined Trinamool Congress party has been elected to Rajya Sabha on September 27. Since Bharatiya Janta Party did not field any candidate against her in the Rajya Sabha polls, Dev was elected unopposed.

Dev joined TMC in August this year. She is the former Member of Parliament from Assam's Silchar constituency. At the time of joining TMC, she had said that she is "beginning a new chapter of public service".

She currently overseeing TMC's campaign in Agartala. As per reports, the Mamata Banerjee-led party is going challenge BJP in the upcoming elections.

Last week, TMC shared the news of Dev's nomination on its official Twitter handle. They wrote, "We are extremely pleased to nominate @SushmitaDevAITC to the Upper House of Parliament."

Dev thanked the party for giving her opportunity and wrote on Twitter, "I am overwhelmed. I Thank my leader @MamataOfficial from the bottom of my heart. Her conviction to see more women in parliament is exemplary. I will do my very best."

Sushmita Dev is the daughter of former Union Minister, late Santosh Mohan Dev and former Member of legislative Assembly Bithika Dev. Earlier this year, Dev lost the election for Silchar constituency to BJP member Rajdeep Roy.

Before resigning from Congress, Dev was the president of All India Mahila Congress. Read more about her here.

TMC's Member of Parliament, Manas Ranjan Bhunia recently resigned from the Upper House of Parliament after which his seat was vacant. This called for Rajya Sabha bypolls. Bhunia was later appointed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's cabinet in the state.
By-elections for seven more vacant seats in Rajya Sabha is scheduled for October 4, as per the official notification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI). Two of the vacant seats are in Tamil Nadu and one each on Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Puducherry and West Bengal.