Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs—Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik—joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday in Kolkata. The induction comes days after the Election Commission announced bypolls for the three Upper House seats they vacated last month, following the TMC's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
BJP Welcomes Former TMC MPs
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya welcomed the trio at the party's West Bengal headquarters in Salt Lake. When asked whether they would be the BJP's nominees for the Rajya Sabha bypolls scheduled for July 24, Bhattacharya declined to give a direct answer. "Let the discussions continue," he said with a smile.
Bhattacharya described the induction as an "exceptional" case rather than a policy change, noting that the BJP had previously said its doors were closed for TMC leaders. "We stand by that. But those who did not indulge in corruption, did not oppress people, did not sell jobs or snatch away people’s rights were always welcome to join us in the fight against the TMC," he said. He added that the experience of the three former parliamentarians would strengthen the BJP in West Bengal.
Sushmita Dev Criticizes TMC Over Corruption
Dev, who joined the TMC in 2021 after leaving the Congress, used the occasion to attack her former party. "I realized only after joining the TMC how unbelievable the extent of corruption could be. My critics may point to many shortcomings, but nobody can say I was associated with corruption," she said. Ray also criticized the TMC over corruption.
Bhattacharya downplayed their political past, stating, "Everyone has a past. Their only identity now is that they are BJP workers."
Dev's Induction in Kolkata Despite Assam Base
Responding to a question on why she formally joined the BJP in Kolkata despite being based in Assam, Dev said the decision was taken by the party leadership. "I could have enrolled digitally from home. But the leadership decided I should join here. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also told me I should respect the people of Bengal because they elected me to the Rajya Sabha twice," she said. Bhattacharya noted that Dev would work for the BJP across the country.
Bypolls and Speculation
Dev, Ray, and Baraik resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the TMC last month after the party's defeat in the Assembly elections, leading to bypolls for the three vacant Upper House seats. With the BJP expected to have the numbers to win all three seats, the development intensified speculation that the former TMC MPs could return to the Upper House on BJP tickets.
