In a setback to the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma from Kurseong joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday. He was formally inducted into the ruling party in the presence of state ministers Bratya Basu and Shashi Panja at TMC headquarters in Kolkata.
Sharma had contested the 2021 Assembly elections as an independent candidate from the Kurseong constituency in Darjeeling, defeating Tshering Lama Dahal of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Tamang faction) by a margin of 15,515 votes. He later joined the BJP and has since served as a legislator in the Assembly under the party’s banner.
Speculation about Sharma’s political future had intensified after his remarks during the recent Assembly session, when he described himself as a ‘free bird, free from chains’. His move to join the TMC has now ended those speculations and is expected to alter political dynamics in the Darjeeling hills ahead of the elections.
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After joining the TMC, Sharma said his decision was guided by his commitment to the people of Kurseong. “I have kept the dignity of the verdict on the political symbol on which you voted for me till today. My people believed in me. Their dream is a better society, a better future and a better generation. I joined the TMC with that aim,” he said.
He also criticised his former party, alleging that the BJP had failed to provide adequate support to the region. Sharma claimed that funds were not released from the Centre and alleged that the Gorkha community had been neglected for years.
Responding to the development, BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said Sharma had been politically isolated for some time and questioned the significance of his induction into the TMC. Referring to Sharma’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ghosh said he had failed to secure substantial support and questioned what message the ruling party intended to send by including him.
He further alleged that neither Sharma nor the TMC would benefit from the alliance and suggested that the party would have to clarify the terms under which Sharma was inducted.
Political observers believe the defection could influence electoral equations in the hill region, where shifting alliances and regional aspirations continue to play a crucial role in shaping the political landscape ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
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