Three ex-TMC Rajya Sabha members join BJP at Kolkata headquarters
Synopsis
Three former TMC Rajya Sabha members who quit the Upper House last month have formally joined the BJP in Kolkata — and with the party holding 208 MLAs against an opposition split down the middle, all three could be heading straight back to Parliament as BJP nominees by 24 July.
Key Takeaways
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy , Sushmita Dev , and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the BJP on 9 July at the party's Salt Lake headquarters in Kolkata.
BJP West Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya described the induction as an 'exceptional case', citing the three leaders' clean records.
Roy resigned on 8 June , Dev on 10 June , and Baraik on 11 June , triggering Rajya Sabha by-elections scheduled for 24 July .
The BJP holds 208 MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly; an opposition candidate would need at least 70 votes to defeat a BJP nominee.
Of TMC's official 80 legislators , reportedly 60 belong to a rebel faction led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee , leaving only 20 loyal to the Banerjee leadership.
Three former Rajya Sabha members of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik — formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, 9 July at the party's state headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata. All three had resigned from the Upper House last month, triggering by-elections now scheduled for 24 July.
The Joining Ceremony
Samik Bhattacharya, BJP's West Bengal state president and Rajya Sabha member, welcomed the three leaders and handed over the party flag to each of them. Bhattacharya was quick to frame the induction as an exception rather than a policy shift, stating that the BJP would not open its doors broadly to defectors from the TMC.
He emphasised that Roy, Dev, and Baraik were admitted on the basis of their clean political records, noting there were no allegations of corruption against any of them during their time in the Trinamool. On the question of whether the three would be fielded in the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-elections, Bhattacharya neither confirmed nor denied, saying only: 'Let the discussions on this continue.'
Why They Left Trinamool
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from the Rajya Sabha on 8 June, followed by Sushmita Dev on 10 June and Prakash Chik Baraik on 11 June. Roy had been openly critical of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC leadership well before the West Bengal assembly elections held earlier this year. He was particularly vocal in condemning the administration over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August 2024 — a case that triggered widespread protests across the state. Roy was subsequently sidelined within the party before eventually tendering his resignation.
After resigning, Baraik reportedly praised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while Dev met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi — moves that signalled a BJP trajectory well before Thursday's formal induction.
Assembly Numbers and By-Election Outlook
The political arithmetic in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly strongly favours the BJP in the three upcoming Rajya Sabha by-elections. The BJP currently holds 208 MLAs in the Assembly. To defeat a BJP nominee, an opposition candidate would need at least 70 votes — a threshold that appears difficult to meet given the fractured state of the TMC's legislative presence.
Officially, the TMC claims 80 legislators, but according to reports, 60 of them belong to a 'rebel but majority' faction led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, while the remaining 20 continue to back Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. This split effectively neutralises the TMC's ability to mount a credible challenge in the by-elections.
What Comes Next
Political circles in Kolkata are abuzz with speculation that the BJP may renominate all three former TMC members for the 24 July Rajya Sabha by-elections — a move that would complete their transition from TMC insiders to BJP nominees in the Upper House. The coming days will test whether the party's stated 'exceptional case' framing holds, or whether it signals a broader poaching strategy ahead of future electoral contests in West Bengal.
Point of View
Whatever the official language says. The more revealing detail is the TMC's internal arithmetic: with 60 of its 80 MLAs reportedly in a rebel bloc, the party's ability to contest even a Rajya Sabha seat is in question. The by-elections on 24 July are less a political contest than a ratification of the TMC's ongoing fragmentation in West Bengal — a process the BJP is now actively accelerating, one defection at a time.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the three former TMC leaders who joined the BJP?
The three are Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik — all former Rajya Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress who resigned from the Upper House in June 2025 before joining the BJP on 9 July in Kolkata.
Why did these TMC leaders resign from the Rajya Sabha?
All three had grown estranged from the TMC leadership over time. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy was particularly vocal in criticising the Mamata Banerjee administration over the R.G. Kar Medical College rape and murder case in August 2024, after which he was sidelined within the party. Dev and Baraik also signalled their BJP leanings through meetings with BJP-aligned chief ministers after resigning.
Will the three leaders contest the Rajya Sabha by-elections on 24 July?
Speculation is rife that the BJP may renominate all three for the by-elections triggered by their own resignations, though BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya has neither confirmed nor denied this, saying only that 'discussions on this continue.'
Does the BJP have enough numbers to win the Rajya Sabha by-elections in West Bengal?
Yes, based on current assembly strength. The BJP holds 208 MLAs in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, and an opposition candidate would need at least 70 votes to defeat a BJP nominee — a threshold the fractured TMC appears unable to meet.
What is the state of the TMC in the West Bengal Assembly?
Though the TMC officially claims 80 legislators, reportedly 60 of them belong to a rebel faction led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, with only 20 remaining loyal to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. This split severely limits the party's legislative leverage.
