The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday inducted three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha members and soon after named them as candidates for the July 24 bypolls to the Upper House.
The three leaders are Sukhendu Shekhar Ray, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik. Their induction and nomination marked a swift political realignment in West Bengal and gave the BJP a fresh opening in the state’s parliamentary contest.
According to the reported accounts, the bypolls were announced after the three leaders had resigned from the Rajya Sabha in June. Their move from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP has intensified attention on the reasons behind the resignations and the timing of the new nominations.
The development is being seen as a significant move in the run-up to the bypolls, with the BJP seeking to convert defections into immediate electoral gains. It also underlines the continuing rivalry between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal politics.