In a major political development in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma left the party and joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday. Sharma is the sitting MLA from the Kurseong Assembly constituency.
Notably, Sharma had been openly critical of the BJP for a considerable time. He repeatedly raised the issue of the Gorkhaland demand and accused the party of failing to address the aspirations of the people in the hills. His growing dissatisfaction with the BJP had been visible through various statements and public interactions.
Political realignment before 2026 elections
With the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections approaching, Sharma's move is being seen as a calculated political realignment ahead of the polls. Notably, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Sharma contested as an independent candidate from Darjeeling, challenging BJP nominee Raju Bista. Meanwhile, BJP chief whip in the assembly, Shankar Ghosh, said Sharma had no support base in his constituency and was not in touch with the party for long.
In May 2021, Bishnu Prasad Sharma was elected as a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from Kurseong constituency. He had defeated Tshering Lama Dahal of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Tamang) by 15,515 votes in 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.
West Bengal Assembly elections 2026
The Assembly elections are expected to be held in West Bengal in April-May 2026 to elect all 294 members. The tenure of West Bengal Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 7 May 2026. The previous assembly elections were held in March-April 2021. After the election, the incumbent Trinamool Congress formed the state government again after winning 215 out of 294 seats in the assembly, with Mamata Banerjee sworn in as the Chief Minister.
