Former Trinamool Congress leaders Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik were on Thursday declared as the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha bypolls, just hours after formally joining the party.
The announcement followed their induction into the BJP at its Salt Lake office in Kolkata, where West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya and other senior party leaders welcomed the trio into the organisation.
Dev, Ray and Baraik had stepped down from the Rajya Sabha and resigned from the Trinamool Congress last month as internal unrest intensified within the Mamata Banerjee-led party. They will now enter the fray for the Rajya Sabha seats that became vacant after their resignations.
According to the BJP, the experience of the three former MPs is expected to bolster the party's organisational and political strength in West Bengal.
Their swift elevation as Rajya Sabha candidates comes against the backdrop of a deepening crisis within the Trinamool Congress following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
The upheaval gathered pace after a sizeable group of MLAs split from the party under the leadership of expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.
The rift widened further as several MPs aligned themselves with the breakaway faction. Rebel legislators sought separate seating arrangements in Parliament and also met senior BJP leaders, prompting speculation about additional defections from the TMC.
Explaining her decision earlier, Sushmita Dev said she had left the Trinamool Congress because of both political and personal considerations.
"It is a long story why I left TMC. I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats at the same time. I will not comment on Mamata Didi," she had said.
She added, "I had political and personal reasons to do this. In an independent country, a politician can take any decision in their political life. I express gratitude towards the people of Bengal, but I have to work in Assam."
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, one of the earliest senior leaders to quit the party, attributed the Trinamool Congress's electoral setback to years of poor governance and said remaining in the organisation had become increasingly difficult.
Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from the Rajya Sabha shortly after Dev and Ray, adding to concerns over growing dissent within the ruling party.
Reacting to the rebellion, Mamata Banerjee accused the dissident leaders of betraying the Trinamool Congress.
"People shouldn't forgive TMC leaders who are traitors, sided with BJP; don't try to sail on two boats, there's still time to look back and address barbarity," she said in a video message.
