New Delhi : The BJP on Thursday fielded former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik for the July 24 Rajya Sabha bypolls in West Bengal, just days after the three leaders switched sides and joined the saffron party. The announcement came soon after the trio — who resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the TMC last month — were formally inducted into the BJP at its West Bengal headquarters in Salt Lake by state president Samik Bhattacharya.
Defending the BJP’s decision to induct former TMC leaders despite its earlier position against welcoming leaders from the ruling party, Bhattacharya called it an “exceptional” case. He said the party’s doors remained shut to Trinamool leaders, but made it clear that those not tainted by corruption or accused of oppressing people, selling jobs or snatching away public rights would always be welcome in the BJP’s fight against the TMC.
Sushmita Dev, who had joined the TMC in 2021 after leaving the Congress, used the occasion to launch a sharp attack on her former party, alleging rampant corruption. “I realised only after joining the TMC how unbelievable the extent of corruption could be,” she said, adding that while critics might point to her shortcomings, no one could accuse her of being linked to corruption.
Asked why she joined the BJP in Kolkata despite being based in Assam, Dev said the decision was made by the party leadership. She said she could have enrolled digitally from home, but the leadership wanted her to join in Bengal. She added that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had advised her to respect the people of Bengal, who had elected her to the Rajya Sabha twice.
The Election Commission had recently announced bypolls to the three Rajya Sabha seats vacated after Dev, Ray and Baraik resigned from the Upper House and quit the TMC. With the BJP now officially fielding all three, they are set to seek a return to Parliament on the party’s ticket.
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