BJP fields 3 ex-Trinamool RS members as candidates for Rajya Sabha bypolls
Synopsis
Three former TMC Rajya Sabha members resigned their seats, crossed over to the BJP on the same evening, and were immediately named the party's candidates for the very bypolls their resignations triggered — all within hours. With BJP holding 208 MLAs in West Bengal and TMC fractured between rival factions, the 24 July bypolls look like a formality. The real story is what this defection signals about the TMC's accelerating unravelling ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Key Takeaways
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy , Sushmita Dev , and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the BJP on 9 July and were immediately named its Rajya Sabha bypoll candidates.
The three had resigned from the Rajya Sabha on 8, 10, and 11 June respectively, vacating the seats now up for bypolls.
Bypolls for all three seats are scheduled for 24 July ; BJP victory is considered a near-certainty given its 208 MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly.
An opposition candidate would need at least 70 votes to defeat a BJP nominee — a number the fractured TMC cannot reliably muster.
TMC's 80 legislators are split: reportedly 60 back expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee 's rebel faction, leaving only 20 with the Mamata Banerjee-led original faction.
Samik Bhattacharya , BJP's West Bengal president, called the induction of the three leaders an 'exceptional case.'
Three former Rajya Sabha members of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik — who defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday evening, 9 July, have been promptly named as the party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls to the three seats they themselves vacated. The BJP issued a formal press statement confirming the candidatures the same night, making the political transition near-seamless.
The Defection and Welcome
BJP's West Bengal president and sitting Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya formally welcomed the three leaders into the party on Thursday evening, handing each of them the BJP flag at the induction ceremony. Bhattacharya, however, was careful to note that the entry of Roy, Dev, and Baraik into the BJP should be treated as an exceptional case — signalling the party does not intend to make a habit of absorbing TMC defectors en masse.
Timeline of Resignations
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy was the first to step down from the Rajya Sabha on 8 June, followed by Sushmita Dev on 10 June and Prakash Chik Baraik on 11 June. After his resignation, Baraik publicly praised West Bengal Chief Minister Subhendu Adhikari. Dev, an Assam-based politician, separately met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi following her exit from the Upper House.
Roy's Long Road Out of Trinamool
Roy's departure was not sudden. He had been openly critical of the TMC leadership well before the West Bengal Assembly elections held earlier this year, and had gradually distanced himself from the party. His most pointed criticism centred on the Mamata Banerjee-led administration's handling of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August 2024. Roy was subsequently sidelined within the party before ultimately resigning from the Rajya Sabha last month.
Why BJP Victory Looks Certain
The bypolls for the three vacant seats are scheduled for 24 July, and the BJP's victories are widely regarded as a foregone conclusion, given the current arithmetic in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The BJP holds 208 MLAs in the Assembly — comfortably above the threshold needed to secure all three seats. To defeat a BJP nominee, an opposition candidate would need at least 70 votes.
TMC's Internal Fracture Deepens the Math
The TMC's legislative strength is further complicated by a deep internal split. While the party officially counts 80 legislators, reportedly 60 of them belong to a 'rebel but majority' faction led by expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee. The remaining 20 are said to be part of the 'original but minority' faction, which continues to back party chief Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. This fracture makes any coordinated opposition effort against the BJP nominees virtually impossible. The bypolls on 24 July will serve as the latest barometer of the TMC's deteriorating position in the state's Upper House representation.
Point of View
Meanwhile, is consolidating Upper House representation from West Bengal without a single vote being genuinely contested. The 24 July bypolls will be a rubber stamp, but the longer-term question is whether this defection wave accelerates or merely reflects an already-terminal decline in TMC's national footprint.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the three ex-TMC members fielded by BJP for the Rajya Sabha bypolls?
The BJP has named Sukhendu Sekhar Roy , Sushmita Dev , and Prakash Chik Baraik — all former TMC Rajya Sabha members — as its candidates for the three vacant Upper House seats. They joined the BJP on 9 July, hours before the party announced their candidatures.
When are the Rajya Sabha bypolls scheduled?
The bypolls for the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal are scheduled for 24 July . The BJP's victory in all three contests is widely considered a foregone conclusion given its 208-MLA strength in the state assembly.
Why did Sukhendu Sekhar Roy leave the Trinamool Congress?
Roy had been openly critical of the TMC leadership for an extended period, most notably over the administration's handling of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August 2024. He was subsequently sidelined within the party before resigning from the Rajya Sabha on 8 June.
How does the West Bengal Assembly math favour BJP in these bypolls?
The BJP holds 208 MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly, well above the number required to win all three Rajya Sabha seats. An opposition candidate would need at least 70 votes to defeat a BJP nominee — a figure the internally divided TMC cannot reliably deliver.
What is the current state of the TMC in the West Bengal Assembly?
Though TMC officially has 80 legislators, reportedly 60 are aligned with a rebel faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee , while only 20 remain with the faction loyal to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee . This split effectively neutralises the party as an opposition force in the upcoming bypolls.
