BJP's picks for Rajya Sabha bypolls signal next phase of Bengal's political realignment

Kolkata, Jul 10 (PTI) The BJP nominating three former TMC MPs for the Rajya Sabha bypolls immediately after inducting them into its fold signals the ruling party was now focused on consolidating its position in state politics through selective accommodation of opposition leaders and organisational expansion. Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the BJP on Thursday and were named the party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from West Bengal within hours. This was the first major induction of former TMC leaders into the BJP since it swept the Assembly polls, signalling that the party's post-election embargo on Trinamool entrants would not extend to leaders it considers politically credible and free from corruption. The three Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant after Dev, Ray and Baraik resigned from the Upper House of Parliament and quit the TMC following the party's Assembly election defeat. They are now poised to return to Parliament barely a month later, on BJP tickets this time. After gaining power in the state, BJP leaders had for weeks publicly maintained the party would not induct leaders into its fold from TMC at random after repeatedly accusing the previous regime of corruption and misgovernance. Thursday's decisions suggest the restraint was tactical rather than absolute. The party now appears to be calibrating entry on political utility, public perception and the absence of serious taint. State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya termed the inductions an "exceptional" case and insisted that it did not mark a departure from the party's earlier position. He said the BJP's doors remained closed to tainted TMC leaders but were open to those who had not indulged in corruption or power abuse. "We said the doors are closed for Trinamool leaders. We stand by that. But those who did not indulge in corruption... were always welcome to join us in the fight against the TMC and rebuild Bengal," Bhattacharya said. For opposition leaders reassessing their political future after the Assembly election, the BJP has demonstrated that politically significant entrants can expect not merely accommodation but visible recognition. The electoral arithmetic further strengthens the BJP's position. According to the Election Commission's notification, each of the three vacancies will be filled through a separate election and treated as an independent contest, even though all three bypolls will follow a common schedule. Rajya Sabha members are elected by members of the state legislative assembly through proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. Since each vacancy is being contested separately, a candidate requires the support of 147 MLAs to secure election. With 207 legislators in the 294-member Assembly, the BJP comfortably crosses that mark in every contest and is therefore in a position to win all three seats on its own. The opposition, by contrast, is effectively out of contention. Even if the rival Mamata Banerjee and Ritabrata Banerjee factions of the Trinamool Congress combine their strength, which is very unlikely, they together have only around 80 MLAs. As a result, unlike a conventional multi-seat Rajya Sabha election where proportional strength can enable different parties to secure representation, the separate conduct of each bypoll has virtually eliminated the opposition's chances. This has reinforced the BJP's confidence in fielding all three former TMC MPs for the polls, turning what would have been a competitive exercise into an opportunity to showcase both its legislative dominance and its growing ability to attract influential opposition leaders. The BJP's priorities also appear to have shifted since assuming office. The focus now appears to be political consolidation -- broadening the party's footprint by drawing experienced opposition leaders into its fold while reinforcing the perception that it has become Bengal's principal political destination. For the TMC, the departure of three senior parliamentarians within weeks of the Assembly poll defeat has reinforced perceptions of organisational strain at a time when the party remains locked in an internal battle over leadership, organisational control and political direction. "These seats belonged to the Trinamool Congress. The people of Bengal will judge those who deserted the party after the election. History is not kind to traitors," senior TMC leader Sougata Roy said. The BJP, however, has sought to project the developments differently. "The Assembly election has changed the political landscape. Experienced and untainted leaders who accept the people's verdict and want to contribute to rebuilding Bengal have a place in the BJP," a senior party leader said. The developments have also drawn comparisons with Odisha, where the ruling BJP inducted former BJD Rajya Sabha members into its fold before facilitating their return to Parliament through bypolls. The Bengal exercise follows a broadly similar template. Unlike Odisha, however, Bengal combines political accommodation with an overwhelming legislative majority and an opposition too fragmented even to mount a contest in the Rajya Sabha bypolls. "Winning the Assembly election was only the beginning. The BJP is now attempting to convert electoral dominance into long-term political and organisational consolidation. The Rajya Sabha nominations fit squarely into that strategy," political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said. PTI PNT NSD