Three Ex-TMC Leaders Elected to Rajya Sabha Unopposed on BJP Tickets

The three leaders were declared elected after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Friday. There were no other candidates left in the fray after the scrutiny of nomination papers on July 15. The returning officer handed over the election certificates to the three new Rajya Sabha members after formally declaring them elected unopposed. Advertisement Roy, Dev and Chick Barike had joined the BJP in Kolkata on July 9. Hours later, the BJP's Central Election Committee declared them candidates for the Rajya Sabha by-polls to be held on July 24. These by-elections were necessitated after the three leaders resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the TMC following the party's defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections last month. This left three seats vacant in the Upper House. The election of these three is being seen as another blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC. The three leaders have re-entered the Rajya Sabha on BJP tickets, just weeks after quitting the party. The induction of the three former TMC MPs also marks the first time that TMC leaders have joined the party after winning the West Bengal Assembly elections and becoming a part of the BJP government.