TMC infighting to clear BJP path for 3 RS seats

With the Opposition Trinamool Congress a divided house, Bengal’s ruling BJP is confident of winning all three Rajya Sabha seats that go to the polls on July 24.

With about 65 out of the 80 TMC MLAs breaking away from former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s control to form a separate group, there is hardly any chance of the principal Opposition party putting up a united fight to clinch at least one seat, experts believe.

On the other hand, the ruling BJP, with 208 members in the State Assembly, is confident of winning all three seats. “Numbers are with us… one of our candidates will get 70, and the remaining two will get 69 votes … and if there is cross-voting then we may expect to get many more votes… TMC and Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat faction is a lost case… it does not stand a remote chance,” said a BJP MLA from Kolkata. The nomination formally started on Tuesday. The three seats fell vacant with three TMC MPs, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik, resigning their posts soon after the saffron party came to power with a thumping victory on May 4.