Former TMC Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Prakash Chik Baraik join BJP

Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata on Thursday, weeks after resigning from the Upper House and quitting the Mamata Banerjee-led party following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Sushmita Dev, a former Congress leader who joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021, served as the party's national spokesperson and represented West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha. Before switching to the TMC, she was a Lok Sabha MP from Assam's Silchar constituency and had headed the All India Mahila Congress.

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Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, one of the Trinamool Congress' senior parliamentary faces, had represented West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha since 2011 and previously served as the party's chief whip in the Upper House. He resigned from Parliament and the TMC earlier in June, citing differences with the party leadership.

Prakash Chik Baraik, who entered the Rajya Sabha in 2023, resigned from both the Upper House and the Trinamool Congress days after Ray and Dev stepped down. At the time, he said he had decided to quit after accepting the "mandate" delivered by the people of West Bengal in the Assembly elections.

Also Read: Sukhendu Sekhar Ray hits out at TMC after resignation, cites RG Kar case, corruption concerns as 'turning point'

The resignations of the three leaders created vacancies in the Rajya Sabha, prompting the Election Commission to announce bypolls for the seats. With the BJP enjoying a majority in the West Bengal Assembly after the state elections, the party is eyeing to win all three seats.