Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha members, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Prakash Chik Baraik and Sushmita Dev, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.
While the saffron party stopped short of indicating whether the trio would be nominated for the upcoming election, their induction has intensified speculation that all three could return to the Upper House, this time as BJP representatives.
The three leaders reached the BJP’s state headquarters in Salt Lake on Thursday afternoon and formally joined the party in the presence of state BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya.
🚨 | #BreakingNews | Former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy joined the BJP in the presence of State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.@SushmitaDev25 | @Prakashchik | @Sukhendusekhar | @SamikBJP | @BJP4Bengal | #BengalPolitics #BJP… pic.twitter.com/rFznUM2EqS
— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) July 9, 2026
All three had resigned from the Rajya Sabha after the change of government in West Bengal, expressing dissatisfaction with the leadership of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee following the Trinamool Congress’ crushing defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference after holding a meeting with the new entrants, Bhattacharya reiterated his earlier distinction between “good” and “bad” elements within the Trinamool Congress.
However, he refused to clarify whether the BJP would field the three leaders in the July 24 Rajya Sabha bypolls.
“Three leaders who left the Trinamool Congress—Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, brother Prakash Chik Baraik and Sushmita Dev, joined the BJP today. They have chosen to be part of the BJP because they want to participate in the rapid development of the country and West Bengal under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” Bhattacharya said.
“We had made it clear earlier that the BJP’s doors are closed to those involved in corruption or the sale of jobs. None of these three leaders face any such allegations. Everyone has a past. They should no longer be described as defectors. Their only identity now is that they are BJP members,” he added.
🎥 | Kolkata | Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev arrives at the BJP Party Office, Salt Lake.@SushmitaDev25 | #BengalPolitics #BJP #TMC #TheStatesman pic.twitter.com/WV6TrQUi78
— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) July 9, 2026
The bypolls to the three Rajya Sabha seats were necessitated after the consecutive resignations of Ray, Baraik and Dev last month. The election is scheduled for July 24. As far as the number game is concerned, the BJP is comfortably placed to secure all three seats.
Following the collapse of the Trinamool’s legislative strength after the change in government, the party is not in a position to field candidates capable of winning the contests.
Speaking after joining the BJP, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said the warning signs for the Trinamool had become evident during the protests over the RG Kar incident.
“When the entire country came out on the streets during the RG Kar movement, the Trinamool should have realised that the alarm bells had started ringing. The Left had created an industrial drought, and even after the Trinamool came to power nothing changed. I have seen the Left regime and the Congress regime. Now the BJP deserves an opportunity,” Ray said.
Speculation over Ray’s move had gathered momentum earlier this week when he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the latter’s visit to Kolkata on Monday to attend the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
Shah had held a meeting with state ministers at Soujanya Auditorium in Alipore, and according to sources, Ray had a separate interaction with Shah.