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PRI AUX .KOLKATA BAK8 WB-RS-NOMINATION Ex-TMC MLA makes last-minute entry to Rajya Sabha poll fray Former TMC MLA Dinesh Bajaj filed nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections as an Independent candidate on Friday, leading to speculations that he may have been fielded by the ruling party to wrest the fifth seat, which the opposition CPI(M) was confident about. Bajaj, who filed the papers in the assembly minutes before the 3 pm deadline, skirted queries from reporters about his move of fighting the elections as an Independent.

In turn, Opposition leaders fear that with Bajaj's entry into the fray, the TMC will resort to poaching of MLAs to defeat Bhattacharyya. Rajya Sabha polls to the five seats from West Bengal will be held on March 26..