Who Is Menaka Guruswamy? TMC's Pick For Rajya Sabha Could Become India's First LGBTQ MP

Last Updated:February 28, 2026, 07:18 IST

Apart from Guruswamy, Mamata Banerjee's party has picked minister Babul Supriyo, former Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, and actor Koel Mallick as candidates for the upper house. 

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has nominated senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy and three others for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election, scheduled to be held on March 16. Apart from Guruswamy, Mamata Banerjee’s party has picked minister Babul Supriyo, former Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, and actor Koel Mallick as candidates for the upper house.

“We are pleased to announce the candidature of Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar (Former DGP, West Bengal), Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections", the TMC said in a post on ‘X’.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to them. May they continue to uphold Trinamool’s enduring legacy of resilience and its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every Indian", it added.

WHO IS MENAKA GURUSWAMY?

Guruswamy is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court. She was among the lawyers who fought the landmark constitutional case, leading to same-sex relations (homosexuality) being decriminalised in India after Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was struck down in 2018.

If elected to the Rajya Sabha, Menaka Guruswamy may become India’s first openly LGBTQ Member of Parliament.

According to an excerpt from “Rising: 30 Women Who Changed India" by Kiran Manral, Guruswamy began her career in 1997. Working under former Attorney General of India Ashok Desai — whom she regards as her mentor — she primarily focused on litigation and constitutional matters.

About a year and a half later, she went to Oxford for pursuing higher studies. After completing her BCL at Oxford and her LLM from Harvard, Guruswamy returned to India in 2001 and got settled in New Delhi.

She featured in Foreign Policy magazine’s 2019 list of 100 most influential Global Thinkers.

REPRESENTED TMC IN I-PAC RAID CASE

Menaka Guruswamy represented the TMC before court, challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the I-PAC’s offices — the party’s political consultants specialising in designing campaigns and strategic initiatives.

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