Three defected prominent leaders โ Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik โ filed their nomination papers on Monday as candidates of the BJP for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election.ย The trio was accompanied during the nomination process by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya.
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The development comes days after the three former MPs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) formally joined the BJP at the partyโs Salt Lake office last Thursday in the presence of Bhattacharya. Soon after, the BJPโs central leadership in Delhi announced their candidature for the Rajya Sabha by-polls scheduled later this month.
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Roy had resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat last month, severing his long-standing association with the TMC. He was followed by Sushmita and Baraik, who also quit the party and subsequently made a series of strong allegations against the TMC leadership.
Addressing criticism over inducting former TMC leaders despite earlier remarks about avoiding โTrinamool-isation,โ Bhattacharya clarified the partyโs position. He reiterated that the BJP would not accommodate individuals associated with extreme corruption or syndicate activities but described the inclusion of Roy, Dev, and Baraik as a special โexception.โ
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โEach of them is a distinguished and learned individual. Their identity today is that of committed BJP workers,โ Bhattacharya said, dismissing criticism over their political shift.
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With the current numbers in the state Legislative Assembly, political observers believe that the BJP stands a strong chance of securing all three seats in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
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