Another Jolt to Mamata: Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik Join BJP in Kolkata After Resigning from TMC

Kolkata: The political landscape of West Bengal witnessed another major shift on Thursday as three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs—Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik—officially crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata.

The high-profile leaders were inducted into the saffron party at its Salt Lake office, where state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya welcomed them by presenting them with party flags in the presence of senior leadership. The trio had resigned from the Upper House and severed ties with the TMC last month, following the party’s defeat in the state assembly elections. The terms for Ray and Baraik were originally set to run until September 2029, while Dev's tenure was scheduled until April 2030. With bypolls for these three vacant seats slated for July 24, the BJP is widely anticipated to secure all of them.

Welcoming the move, Bhattacharya noted that the vast legislative experience of the three former parliamentarians would significantly reinforce the party's position across the state.

The Altered Rajya Sabha Arithmetic

The shift follows a dramatic rewriting of West Bengal's political numbers after the assembly elections. In the 294-member House, the BJP emerged as the dominant force by capturing 208 seats, while the TMC was reduced to 80. The Congress and the Aam Janata Unanyan Party (AJUP) secured two seats each, while the CPI(M) and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) won one seat apiece.

Subsequent resignations slightly adjusted those numbers, bringing the BJP's strength to 207 and the AJUP's to 1. This left the ruling party with a comfortable majority, while the opposition bloc held 85 legislators. Under standard circumstances, the combined strength of the opposition would have been enough to guarantee them one Rajya Sabha seat, leaving the BJP with the other two. However, the political equation changed completely after the TMC fractured into rival factions—one led by former Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, and the other by Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee.
 

High-Profile Inductions at Salt Lake

The three leaders, who left the Upper House amid a wider internal rebellion following the TMC's assembly election loss, finalized their transition at the BJP's Salt Lake headquarters.

Addressing the media, the state BJP president emphasized that the arrival of the three ex-Rajya Sabha members would provide a strong boost to the BJP, which now forms the government in West Bengal. He stated that the entire party, including Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, is delighted by their decision and welcomes them "wholeheartedly and with great happiness."

Bhattacharya also launched a sharp critique against the TMC and the Left alliance, accusing them of hindering development in West Bengal. He claimed that rather than "cooperating with the Centre," both parties chose a path of "confrontation" and rejected the nation's federal structure.

"Against this backdrop, and placing their faith in the leadership of Narendra Modi, three Members of Parliament resigned from the Trinamool Congress. Today, these three — Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy — have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party... These three MPs are stalwarts whose performance in the Rajya Sabha is well-known to everyone," Bhattacharya was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

A Growing Rebellion Within the TMC

The roots of the defection trace back to a major internal revolt within the TMC following its assembly election defeat. The friction initially erupted in the state Assembly after Ritabrata Banerjee assumed the role of Leader of Opposition (LoP) with the backing of 57 MLAs. The dissent quickly spread to the party's parliamentary wings, prompting a succession of leaders to exit the TMC and declare their alignment with the BJP-led NDA.

Among those defectors were Dev, Ray, and Baraik. Commenting on her decision to rebel, Dev chose not to speak directly about Mamata Banerjee, but remarked that she does not want to be "part of two boats at the same time." Meanwhile, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray attributed his exit to systemic issues, stating that the TMC was rejected by the voters of West Bengal due to "rampant corruption and extreme oppression of women," faults he claimed the party failed to rectify.

Prakash Chik Baraik, an influential tribal leader, framed his move around public sentiment, explaining that he was simply "accepting the opinion given by the people of West Bengal." Their formal entry into the BJP deals a fresh blow to the TMC, which continues to search for stable ground after facing cascading rebellions across the State Assembly, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha.