Former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs, Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata, weeks after they quit the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
The three leaders joined the saffron party in the presence of West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya.
Dev, Baraik and Ray had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the TMC last month following the party’s humiliating defeat in the Bengal Assembly elections.
Welcoming them to the party, Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said the three TMC defectors are “stalwarts whose performance in the Rajya Sabha is well-known to everyone.”
“This is a joyous occasion for us, and the entire BJP is delighted. On behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and as its state President, I—along with our workers, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the entire cabinet, and our whole organisation—welcome these three individuals wholeheartedly and with great happiness,” he said.
TMC ruined three generations of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is finished: Sukhendu
After joining the BJP, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray launched a scathing attack on TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, saying her government ruined three generations of West Bengal.
“She (Mamata Banerjee) is finished; her party is over. So, further discussion on that is futile…,” Ray remarked.
He further stated that unlike other Opposition states, where ruling and opposition parties usually approach the central government together to seek development, progress, or the implementation of specific agendas, the TMC government in Bengal under Mamata Banerjee focused on demonstrating its opposition to the Centre through shutdowns, strikes, and processions.
“Three generations of Bengal were ruined by this; those who had opportunities fled the state. While most states in India stepped forward to follow the vision and roadmap for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we were busy with theft. We were shielding looters and rapists; naturally, such a cycle was bound to collapse…,” he added.
Dev, Baraik and Ray likely to return to Rajya Sabha
Meanwhile, speculation is rife that the BJP may field the three newly inducted leaders for the Rajya Sabha in the by-elections to the three vacant seats from West Bengal.
While the official announcement from Delhi is currently awaited, there is a strong buzz in political circles in Kolkata and New Delhi that the BJP will field Sushmita Dev, Prakash Chik Baraik and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray for the Rajya Sabha by-elections from Bengal.
With TMC divided into factions, numbers suggest that BJP’s success in the by-elections is almost certain.
The political experience of the three possible BJP candidates is also of particular significance in this election. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray has long been associated with parliamentary politics and constitutional matters, with his skills in legislation and parliamentary debates being well known.
Sushmita Dev is a known face in national politics. Along with her long parliamentary experience, she is known as one of the most acceptable representatives of women’s leadership.
Prakash Chik Baraik, meanwhile, has long worked as a representative of the tribal community. Political circles feel that his political acceptance in North Bengal and Jangalmahal will further strengthen the BJP’s strategy of social expansion.