In a major boost to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs, Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik, formally joined the saffron party today at the BJP state headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata.
The leaders, who had resigned from the TMC and the Upper House following the party’s defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, were welcomed into the BJP fold by the party’s state unit president, Samik Bhattacharya. He handed over party flags to the trio in the presence of senior leaders and media personnel.
Sushmita Dev, a former Congress leader and national spokesperson of the TMC who had represented West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, brings significant experience from her time as a Lok Sabha MP from Assam’s Silchar constituency and as president of the All India Mahila Congress. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, a veteran parliamentarian who had been with the TMC since 2011 and served as its chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, cited differences with the party leadership as a key reason for his earlier exit. Prakash Chik Baraik, who entered the Rajya Sabha in 2023, had highlighted the people’s mandate in favour of the BJP while announcing his resignation.
Briefing the media after the joining ceremony, senior BJP leaders expressed confidence that the addition of these experienced figures would further strengthen the party’s organisational base and governance in the state. The move comes weeks after their resignations created vacancies in the Rajya Sabha, leading to bypolls scheduled for the three seats.
There is a possibility that the BJP may nominate one or more of these leaders for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-elections from West Bengal. With the BJP now holding a majority in the state Assembly, the party is well-positioned to secure these seats.
There are media speculations that Sukhendu Sekhar Ray will be nominated to the upper house by the BJP. When Amit Shah visited Kolkata on the occasion of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s birth anniversary, Sukhendu Shekhar had met him. Moreover, PM Modi had also talked about his father Shibendusekhar Roy while campaigning for the West Bengal elections.
Sushmita Dev could also potentially be fielded for the Rajya Sabha elections by the BJP. After resigning from the party, she had met Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. At that time, it was speculated that she would return to Assam politics. But now political circles believe as she has represented West Bengal twice in the Rajya Sabha, she will be sent to the parliament from West Bengal again.
