BJP Fields Three Former Trinamool MPs for West Bengal Rajya Sabha Bypolls

Kolkata, July 2026 : In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypolls in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday named three former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha members as its candidates after formally inducting them into the party. The BJP has fielded Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik for the by-elections to the Upper House seats that were vacated following their resignations from the Trinamool Congress last month.

The trio was welcomed into the BJP by the party’s West Bengal president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya during an induction programme held on Thursday evening. Bhattacharya presented them with the BJP flag, marking their official entry into the party.

Soon after the induction ceremony, the BJP released its official list of candidates, confirming that Roy, Dev and Baraik would contest the Rajya Sabha bypolls scheduled for July 24.

While welcoming the leaders into the BJP fold, Bhattacharya stressed that their induction should be viewed as an exceptional case and not as a precedent for future entrants. He did not elaborate further on the remark but maintained that the party had taken the decision after careful consideration.

The bypolls were necessitated after all three leaders resigned from the Rajya Sabha in June. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy was the first to step down on June 8, followed by Sushmita Dev on June 10 and Prakash Chik Baraik on June 11. Their resignations had triggered intense political speculation, which culminated in their joining the BJP.

Following his resignation, Prakash Chik Baraik publicly praised senior BJP leader and West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, signalling his growing proximity to the saffron party. Sushmita Dev, who has considerable political influence in neighbouring Assam, also fuelled speculation after meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi soon after quitting the Trinamool Congress.

Among the three, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy had emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the Trinamool Congress leadership over the past year. Long before the West Bengal Assembly elections, Roy had increasingly distanced himself from the party’s top leadership. He had openly criticised the Mamata Banerjee government over its handling of the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in August 2024, an issue that sparked widespread protests across the state.

His criticism reportedly led to his gradual marginalisation within the Trinamool Congress before he eventually resigned from Parliament.

The BJP is widely expected to secure all three Rajya Sabha seats without much difficulty. According to the current strength of the West Bengal Assembly, the party enjoys a commanding majority with 208 MLAs, giving it a comfortable numerical advantage in the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha bypolls.

Political observers believe the BJP candidates’ victory is virtually assured, as any opposition nominee would require at least 70 votes to mount a serious challenge.

The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, continues to grapple with internal divisions. Although the party officially has 80 legislators in the Assembly, its strength has been split between two rival factions. Around 60 MLAs are reportedly aligned with the “rebel but majority” faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, while the remaining 20 continue to support the “original but minority” faction loyal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

The BJP’s decision to nominate the three former Trinamool leaders underscores the changing political dynamics in West Bengal and could further reshape the balance of power in the state’s parliamentary representation. With the bypolls just weeks away, all eyes will now be on July 24, when the three high-profile contests are expected to formally strengthen the BJP’s presence in the Rajya Sabha.