Mystery Move: BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma Joins TMC Ahead of 2026 Assembly Polls

KalimNews, February 20, 2026, Kalimpong: In a significant political development ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, rebel BJP MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma formally joined the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday. His move delivers a setback to the saffron camp barely two months before the polls and has stirred fresh political churn in the Darjeeling Hills.

What led Sharma to join the TMC — a party he had criticised throughout his political career — remains a mystery. Some political observers suggest that he may be projecting himself as a potential Rajya Sabha MP and joined the TMC with the hope of securing a seat. Though he remained a silent member within the BJP’s organisational structure, he was often vocal in expressing dissent and frequently targeted his once companion, the present BJP MP Raju Bista. Sharma’s fluency in Bengali and his outspoken political character had long impressed sections of the TMC leadership.

Sharma, the Kurseong MLA elected on a BJP ticket in 2021, joined the TMC at Trinamool Bhavan, the party’s headquarters in Kolkata, in the presence of senior leaders Bratya Basu and Shashi Panja. The development marks a dramatic turn in his strained relationship with the BJP over the Gorkhaland issue.

The Gorkha leader’s switch assumes added significance as the term of the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is set to expire in May, with Rajya Sabha elections scheduled next month. With Sharma’s exit, the BJP’s strength in the Assembly has come down to 64, a factor that could influence electoral arithmetic in the Upper House polls, where MLAs serve as electors.

For nearly two years, Sharma had been publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the BJP, accusing it of reneging on promises made to the Gorkhas. He repeatedly raised the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state and, at times, even advocated for a separate North Bengal, arguing that the Hills required focused administrative attention and accelerated development.

His rebellion became overt during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when he contested the Darjeeling seat as an Independent candidate, opposing the BJP’s decision to renominate sitting MP Raju Bista. Though the gamble failed electorally, it deepened political fissures within the party.

On Thursday, Sharma declared that he was joining the TMC not for a ticket, but to align with the politics of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"I am a free bird. I have not disrespected the mandate of the people of Kurseong. Some will criticise me, but I do not care," he said.

Accusing the BJP of misleading the Gorkhas, he stated: "For 17 years, the Gorkha people have been living in darkness. The BJP is showing them a torch and calling it the sun. Should I play the politics of jumla (rhetoric) with my electorate? The BJP will do nothing for the Gorkhas."

In a pointed attack on the Centre, Sharma alleged that funds meant for Bengal were blocked.

"Yet development did not stop. Mamata Banerjee is the only leader who can challenge today's degrading nationwide politics," he said, adding that he had been "forced to indulge in communal slogans" in his previous party despite believing that "humanity is the only religion."

Sharma also alleged that the Centre’s interlocutor on the Hills issue lacked official sanction and was being projected before elections to "mislead" people once again.

Earlier, his criticism had placed him at odds with his party even during rare moments 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 supported the motion despite accusing the ruling party of politicising the issue. Sharma, however, opposed the resolution and continued advocating for Gorkhaland, diverging from the broader political messaging at the time.

Welcoming him into the party, 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."

She added: "It was evident that he felt uncomfortable in the Assembly as the BJP failed to participate in logical discussions. When BJP MLAs staged walkouts, he chose to remain seated. Many of his long-pending projects will now be materialised."

The BJP, however, sought to downplay the defection. Chief whip Shankar Ghosh said Sharma had isolated himself from the party for a long time and lacked grassroots support. 

"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 sink together," Ghosh said.

Another BJP leader, Rahul Sinha, accused Sharma of: "betraying the people of the Hills" and remarked that such leaders "find their place in the TMC."

The sitting MLA of Kurseong, popularly known as B. P. Bajgain, clarified that his earlier advocacy for Gorkhaland was in line with the BJP manifesto rather than a personal agenda. He stated that, having joined the Trinamool Congress, he would now adhere to the party’s manifesto, which traditionally opposes the partition of Bengal.

Speaking with newspersons, he said that since he had joined the Trinamool, he would follow whatever the party’s manifesto prescribes. Bajgain also remarked that a representative who fails to bring development to the region should lose the right to remain a public representative, citing a lack of progress under his previous affiliation.

Prior to his 2026 switch, Bajgain was one of the most vocal proponents of statehood within the BJP and raised the Gorkhaland issue in the West Bengal Assembly three times. In the 2024 general elections, he revolted against the BJP and contested the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate. He argued that the BJP was not serious about the Gorkhaland demand and that Parliament was the appropriate forum to resolve it.

Following a "dismal performance" in that election—securing only 7,447 votes, fewer than NOTA—he announced in June 2024 that he would no longer indulge in politics using the word "Gorkhaland."

Sharma was earlier associated with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha before joining the BJP, particularly after Bimal Gurung resurfaced from hiding following the 2017 agitation and announced support for Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

"Even when I was with the BJP, I was impressed by the work and vision of the West Bengal Chief Minister. In my former party, my hands were tied and I felt suffocated, not able to either work or speak for the Gorkha community," said Sharma.

He was handed the Trinamool flag by Bratya Basu and Shashi Panja at Trinamool Bhavan.

"Before, I worked as decided by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. I followed their election manifesto even though nothing happened for our community. Now I will work in a new timeline which will be decided by the Trinamool chief whose development work is very impressive," the Kurseong MLA said.

"The BJP fuels communal hatred and does 'jumla' politics. The BJP is not sincere towards the Gorkhas and have done nothing for them for so many years, inspite of our support. I am sure that even in future the BJP will not give anything to us," Sharma said.

When queried about the timing of his defection and his stand on the demand for a separate state, Sharma maintained that he had followed ethical norms and respected the mandate of the people.

"I waited till the end of the last Vidhan Sabha session. I have neither betrayed the voters or the BJP. I have always voiced the demand for a Gorkhaland state in the Assembly sessions for my community. In fact, I have even spoken against my former party and held dharnas to give voice to the hill people," said Sharma.

Darjeeling (Hills) District TMC president Shanta Chhetri welcomed him to the party fold, expressing confidence that his induction would strengthen the party in the region.

The BJP’s Hill unit maintained that Sharma’s defection would not hamper the party. BJP (Hills) President Sanjeev Lama described it as a “blessing in disguise,” stating that anti-incumbency had been growing and that Sharma had failed to fulfil his responsibilities as an MLA.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defying party directives and reinforcing his stance on Gorkhaland, Sharma contested as an Independent candidate, much to the displeasure of the BJP, although no formal disciplinary action was taken against him.

As the 2026 Assembly elections approach, Sharma’s political shift is expected to influence the dynamics in the Darjeeling Hills, a region where identity, development, and statehood demands continue to shape electoral narratives.