Swapan Dasgupta tenders resignation as Rajya Sabha member

Nominated Rajya Sabha member Swapan Dasgupta on Tuesday tendered his resignation from the upper house of Parliament after being named as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Dasgupta, who became a Rajya Sabha member on April 25, 2016, has been named by the saffron party as its candidate from Tarakeshwar constituency in the poll-bound state.

"I have resigned from the Rajya Sabha today to commit myself totally to the fight for a better Bengal. I hope to file my nomination as BJP candidate for the Tarakeshwar Assembly seat in the next few days," Dasgupta said on Twitter.

Sources said he has urged the Chairman of Rajya Sabha to accept his resignation with effect from Wednesday.

Asked about his resignation, Dasgupta said, "I have always said whatever necessary steps will have to be taken will be done by me before I submit my nomination papers (for West Bengal polls)."

His term as Rajya Sabha member was till April 24, 2022.

His resignation came after Trinamool Congress MP Mohua Moitra raised objections to Dasgupta being named as a BJP candidate for the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal.

"Swapan Dasgupta is BJP candidate for WB polls. 10th Schedule of Constitution says nominated RS member to be disqualified if he joins any political party AFTER expiry of 6 months from oath. He was sworn in April 2016, remains unallied. Must be disqualified NOW for joining BJP," Moitra tweeted last night.

"Following up on my previous tweet - Rajya Sabha website as of today says Swapan Dasgupta is nominated & not formally BJP. If he files nomination as @BJP candidate he should be disqualified according to the Constitution's 10th Schedule (Para 2 (3)," she also tweeted.

She also claimed that Dasgupta should "either resign RS now or be disqualified" and said he has "no safety net".

According to the Tenth schedule of the Constitution, a nominated member of a house can join a political party before the expiry of six months from the date on which he takes his seat after complying with requirements of Article 99 or, as the case may be, Article 188.

"A nominated member of a house shall be disqualified for being a member of the house if he joins any political party after the expiry of six months from the date on which he takes his seat after complying with the requirements of article 99 or, as the case may be, article 188," the rule says.