New Delhi/Calcutta, 28 February 2026: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has announced senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy as one of its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on 16 March 2026. Guruswamy’s nomination has attracted widespread attention, not only for her legal stature but also because she could become India’s first openly LGBTQ Member of Parliament if elected to the Upper House.
West Bengal is set to return five members to the Rajya Sabha this year as terms of sitting members expire. With a strong majority in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, the ruling Trinamool Congress is poised to retain four of these seats. In its latest nominations, the party has fielded Menaka Guruswamy alongside a mix of political and public figures — including Babul Supriyo (state minister and former Union minister), Rajeev Kumar (former Director General of Police, West Bengal) and Koel Mallick (popular Bengali film actor).
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the TMC said it was “pleased to announce” the candidature of all four nominees and extended its best wishes, expressing confidence that they would uphold the party’s “enduring legacy of resilience” and commitment to protecting rights and dignity across India.
Sr. Adv. Menaka Guruswamy is a distinguished Supreme Court advocate known for her work in constitutional law and human rights, particularly her role in litigating landmark petitions that led to the decriminalisation of consensual same-sex relations in 2018 — when Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was read down by the Supreme Court.
Her nomination signals a potential historic milestone for LGBTQ representation in Indian politics. If she secures a seat in the Rajya Sabha, Guruswamy would become the country’s first openly LGBTQ MP, marking an important step for inclusion and diversity in the Parliament.
Apart from constitutional litigation, Guruswamy also represented the West Bengal government and the TMC in high-profile cases, including legal battles related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Enforcement Directorate actions in I-PAC raid proceedings.
Legal and political analysts view the endorsement of Guruswamy as part of the TMC’s broader strategy to balance legal credibility, administrative experience, and cultural appeal within its Rajya Sabha slate. By nominating candidates from varied professional backgrounds, including law, policing, politics and entertainment, the party appears intent on consolidating its upper-house representation while appealing to diverse voter constituencies.
Her potential election also resonates with increasing public discourse around diversity and inclusivity in Indian governance, especially as LGBTQ rights and representation continue to evolve after landmark judicial reforms.
With TMC’s strong legislative numbers in the West Bengal Assembly, the outcome of the Rajya Sabha polls is largely projected to favour the party’s nominees. However, formal results will only be confirmed after the scheduled election process concludes in mid-March.
Guruswamy’s nomination has already sparked conversations across media and political platforms, highlighting her unique profile as a constitutional expert and possible trailblazer for LGBTQ representation at the national level.
