Another BJP MLA joins TMC, saffron camp's strength in Bengal drops to 67

With BJP MLA Harakali Protihar switching to the Trinamool Congress, the saffron camp's strength in the West Bengal Assembly has dropped to 67 from 77 after the 2021 state assembly elections.

Two elected BJP legislators, Nisith Pramanik from Dinhata in Cooch Behar district and Jagannath Sarkar, then central ministers, resigned to retain their ministerial as well as Lok Sabha chairs. However in the by-elections, the BJP was defeated from both constituencies, reducing its tally to 75.

Thereafter, six more elected BJP legislators, namely Mukul Roy from Krishnanagar (North) in Nadia district, Biswajit Das from Bagda in North 24 Parganas district, Tanmoy Ghosh from Bishnupur in Bankura, Soumen Roy from Kaliaganj in North Dinajpur, Krishna Kalyani from Raiganj also in North Dinajpur and Suman Kanjilal from Alipurduar shifted to the ruling camp one after another, bringing down the BJP's tally in the 294-member state assembly to 69.

Recently, in the by-election to Dhupguri assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri district, which was necessitated following the sudden death of erstwhile BJP legislator Bishnu Pada Roy, the BJP candidate was defeated, thus reducing their tally in the assembly to 68.

Now, with Protihar, the BJP MLA from Katulpur assembly constituency in Bankura district, changing colours, the strength of the saffron camp in the state assembly has finally dropped to 67.