Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata on Thursday. The induction took place at the BJP's Salt Lake office in the presence of West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and other senior party leaders.
Bhattacharya welcomed the three leaders by presenting them with BJP flags during the joining ceremony. The development comes weeks after Dev, Ray and Baraik resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the Trinamool Congress following the party's defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The terms of Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik in the Rajya Sabha were scheduled to continue until September 2029, while Sushmita Dev's tenure was due to end in April 2030.
The BJP has fielded all three former MPs as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls, which are scheduled to be held on July 24.
Speaking after joining the party, Sushmita Dev said her decision was not driven by expectations of a Rajya Sabha nomination. "The BJP high command will decide on Rajya Sabha seats. I have joined the party not with the expectation of a Rajya Sabha berth, but as an outgoing MP from West Bengal," she said.
The political landscape in West Bengal has changed significantly since the 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP currently holds a majority in the 294-member Assembly with over 200 legislators, while the opposition's strength has been reduced following resignations and internal divisions.
Political observers note that the split within the Trinamool Congress has altered the electoral arithmetic for the Rajya Sabha bypolls. Under the voting formula for the three vacant seats, each candidate requires approximately 70 first-preference votes to secure election. With its current legislative strength, the BJP is in a position to contest all three seats, while the divided opposition faces a more challenging electoral scenario.
The Rajya Sabha bypolls are scheduled for July 24, with the outcome expected to reflect the changed balance of power in the West Bengal Assembly.
Sources: Hindustan Times
