Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs filed nomination for their seats in Rajya Sabha as Bharatiya Janta Party candidates on Monday (July 13, 2026). This comes within days of them defecting from Trinamool and shifting political allegiance.
Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Prakash Chik Baraik filed their nominations for Rajya Sabha byelections scheduled for July 24. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and BJP State president Samik Bhattacharya were present with the three candidates during their nomination process.
The three bypoll candidates had joined the BJP on July 9 amid the massive landslide faced by the Trinamool, which has seen its number of public representatives across the State Assembly, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha plummet since the Assembly election results were announced. The large number of defections started immediately after the party’s humiliating loss at the elections.
The three senior leaders submitted their papers before the Returning Officer at the West Bengal Assembly on Monday morning.
“It felt like a family when the CM sat down with us in his room and had a meeting. We have recently joined the BJP, and after joining, to file a nomination again as a candidate in Rajya Sabha... I am grateful for it,” Ms. Dev said after filing her nomination with the Returning Officer.
Commenting on the high number of former Trinamool members joining the BJP, Mr. Bhattacharya said that their party “will not be Trinamoolisation”. Honest members of the rival party who have worked “selflessly” for the people may have decided to leave the Trinamool, he said. “Trinamool is now rootles...people do not want to hear about them,” Mr. Bhattacharya added.
Meanwhile, State Minister and senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said that their party’s rules do not specify who can and cannot join. “Our own legislator and CM himself, Suvendu Adhikari is a former Trinamool member,” Mr. Ghosh added.
With the BJP having 208 legislators in the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, and the Trinamool MLAs divided into two camps, the election to the Upper House of Parliament is going to be a smooth journey.
Ms. Dev is a prominent leader from Assam who is a three-time Rajya Sabha MP. She was previously with the Congress before joining the Trinamool in 2021.
Mr. Ray also had a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the latter’s recent visit to Kolkata.
Published - July 13, 2026 01:40 pm IST