Rahul Sinha greets Babul Supriyo as they enter Rajya Sabha

Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha formally secured his entry to the Rajya Sabha on Monday after his nomination was cleared following earlier controversy over alleged errors in his documents. The moment also drew attention for a rare display of political courtesy when Trinamool Congress MP Babul Supriyo greeted him with a handshake in the Assembly corridors.

Sinha’s nomination had earlier triggered a dispute after the Trinamool Congress approached the Election Commission alleging technical flaws in the nomination papers. The complaint claimed that the form submitted by Sinha contained factual errors similar to those found in a previous candidate’s documents, prompting scrutiny by officials.

Following the Election Commission’s intervention, Sinha corrected the documents and his candidature was eventually declared valid. On Monday, the concerned authority handed him the certificate confirming his election, bringing relief to the BJP camp after days of uncertainty.

In the Rajya Sabha election from West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress fielded four candidates—senior lawyer Menaka Guruswamy, former DGP Rajeev Kumar, actress Koel Mallick and minister Babul Supriyo. All four candidates were elected unopposed, while Sinha secured the lone seat for the BJP.

Since all five seats were filled without contest, the voting scheduled for March 16 will not be required. The newly elected members are now set to represent West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, bringing together leaders from fields such as law, administration, arts and politics.