Kolkata: In a significant political development in West Bengal, three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday at the party’s state headquarters in Kolkata. The leaders were inducted into the BJP by West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya in the presence of senior party leaders.
Within hours of their induction, the BJP’s Central Election Committee announced the trio as the party’s official candidates for the Rajya Sabha by-elections scheduled for July 24, 2026. The bypolls were necessitated after the three leaders resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the Trinamool Congress following the party’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Defending the induction of the former TMC leaders, Samik Bhattacharya said the BJP had previously stated that it would not induct Trinamool leaders involved in corruption or political wrongdoing. However, he described the three former MPs as an “Exception” saying they had not been associated with corruption or abuse of power and would strengthen the BJP’s presence in West Bengal.
After joining the BJP, the three leaders criticized the Trinamool Congress leadership and said they decided to leave the party after becoming disillusioned with its functioning. Sushmita Dev, who had joined the TMC from the Congress in 2021, said her decision was based on political conviction and expressed confidence in the BJP’s leadership.
The BJP described the development as a major boost to its campaign in West Bengal, with the induction of experienced parliamentarians expected to strengthen the party’s position in the Rajya Sabha. Political observers view the move as another sign of shifting political alignments in the state following the recent Assembly elections.
The Rajya Sabha by-elections will be held on July 24, 2026, with nominations closing on July 14, scrutiny on July 15, and the last date for withdrawal of nominations on July 17.
