Kolkata, February 19 Bishnu Prasad Sharma, a rebel BJP MLA, joined the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday, dealing a blow to the saffron camp just two months before the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections and creating further political tension in the Darjeeling Hills.
Sharma, the Kurseong MLA elected on a BJP ticket in 2021, formally joined the TMC at Trinamool Bhavan, the party's headquarters here, in the presence of senior leaders Bratya Basu and Shashi Panja, marking a significant turn in his strained relationship with the BJP over the Gorkhaland issue.
This move gains importance given that the 294-member West Bengal assembly term is set to expire in May and the Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled next month.
With Sharma's departure, the BJP's strength in the assembly has decreased to 64, which could impact electoral outcomes in the Upper House polls, where MLAs are the electors.
For nearly two years, Sharma had publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the BJP, accusing it of reneging on promises made to the Gorkhas.
He repeatedly demanded a separate Gorkhaland state and, at times, even advocated for a separate North Bengal, arguing that the region needed focused administrative attention and development.
His rebellion became clear during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when he contested from Darjeeling as an Independent, opposing the BJP's decision to renominate sitting MP Raju Bista.
Although this strategy failed electorally, it deepened the divisions.
On Thursday, Sharma declared that he was joining the TMC not for a ticket, but to align with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's politics.
"I am a free bird. I have not disrespected the mandate of the people of Kurseong. Some will criticize me, but I don't care," he said.
Accusing the BJP of misleading the Gorkhas, he said, "For 17 years, the Gorkha people have lived in darkness. The BJP is showing them a torch and calling it the sun. Should I use rhetoric to persuade my voters? The BJP will not do anything for the Gorkhas."
He also criticized the Centre, alleging that funds meant for Bengal were being withheld.
"Despite this, development continued. Mamata Banerjee is the only leader who can challenge the current political situation in the country," he said, adding that he had been "forced to use communal slogans" in his previous party despite believing that "humanity is the only religion".
Sharma also accused the Centre's interlocutor on the Hills issue of lacking official sanction and being used to mislead people before the elections.
His criticism of the BJP had earlier put him at odds with his party during a rare moment of consensus in the assembly.
A few years ago, when the TMC government moved a resolution opposing any attempt to bifurcate West Bengal, the BJP, despite accusing the ruling party of politicising the issue, supported the motion in a rare show of cooperation.
Sharma, however, had opposed the resolution and continued to advocate for Gorkhaland, going against the prevailing political sentiment at the time.
Welcoming him into the party, state minister Bratya Basu said, "He is a gentleman from the hills who has been inspired by CM Mamata Banerjee and has responded to the call of our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee."
Shashi Panja described Sharma as "an important Gorkha leader, a farmer, and someone deeply connected to the grassroots of North Bengal".
"It was evident that he felt uncomfortable in the assembly as the BJP failed to engage in logical discussions. When BJP MLAs staged walkouts, he chose to remain seated. Many of his long-standing projects will now be implemented," she said.
However, the BJP sought to downplay the defection. Chief whip Shankar Ghosh said Sharma had kept himself isolated from the party for a long time and had little support on the ground.
"He contested against our MP Raju Bista and could secure only seven thousand votes. His joining the TMC will have no political impact. In 2026, both he and the TMC will face the same challenges," Ghosh said.
Another BJP leader, Rahul Sinha, accused Sharma of "betraying the people of the Hills" and said such leaders "find their place in the TMC".
Sharma was once a close loyalist of Bimal Gurung, the supremo of the GJM, and played a key role during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
At a time when Gurung was away from the hills, Sharma effectively operated on behalf of the Gurung faction, coordinating political strategy on the ground.
He was instrumental in forging an understanding with the GNLF to counter the Binay Tamang-led faction of the GJM, a consolidation widely seen as crucial to the victory of BJP candidate Raju Bista in the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat.
Political observers say the timing of the defection is crucial.
The Darjeeling Hills have traditionally been a BJP stronghold in recent elections, with regional aspirations over identity and autonomy shaping voting behaviour.
A section of analysts believes Sharma's entry may help the TMC make incremental gains among Gorkha voters, while others argue that the hill politics remain personality-driven and fluid, and one defection may not dramatically alter the larger calculus.
Yet, symbolically, the move allows the TMC to project cracks in the BJP's Hills bastion at a time when every seat counts.