West Bengal’s defections: 2021 and beyond

The West Bengal 2021 Assembly Elections saw 2,132 candidates entering the poll fray, with All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) emerging as the winner after clinching victory in 215 of the 294 seats. Few months prior to 2021 polls, over a dozen of TMC legislators crossed over to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), hoping for improved electoral prospects.

Few notable names include Rajib Banerjee, Banasree Maity, Saikat Panja, Rajib Banerjee, and Sonali Guha. The biggest blow to TMC came with Suvendu Adhikari’s crossover to BJP. A former trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee, he played a defining role in Nandigram agitation that catapulted the regional party to power. Few heavyweights that were part of Mr. Adhikari’s batch included Biswajit Kundu, Saikat Panja, Banasree Maity, and Sunil Mondal.