Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs—Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik—joined the BJP on Thursday, marking another setback for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The trio resigned from the TMC and the Upper House following the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections. Their induction into the BJP took place at the party’s Salt Lake headquarters in Kolkata, where state president Samik Bhattacharya presented them with party flags.
BJP strengthens West Bengal presence
Bhattacharya stated that the three leaders’ parliamentary experience would bolster the BJP’s organizational strength in the state. Their addition comes ahead of Rajya Sabha bypolls for the vacated seats, scheduled for July 24, with counting the same evening.
The defections follow public criticism of the TMC leadership by the three MPs after the Assembly polls, where the BJP won 208 of 294 seats, reducing the TMC to 80. Subsequent resignations adjusted the BJP’s tally to 207, ensuring a comfortable majority.
Rajya Sabha bypoll dynamics
Under current Assembly arithmetic, the BJP is poised to win all three Rajya Sabha seats. A candidate requires roughly 70 first-preference votes to secure election, and with 207 MLAs, the BJP can distribute votes among its candidates. Neither TMC faction—led by Mamata Banerjee or Ritabrata Banerjee—holds enough seats to elect a candidate independently.
