Kolkata, July 9 -- The Trinamool Congress (TMC) suffered another setback after three prominent former Rajya Sabha MPs, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik, defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The leaders were formally inducted at the BJP's state headquarters in the presence of West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya and other senior party officials. Within hours of induction into the party, the BJP fielded them for the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypolls in West Bengal.

The bypolls will be held on July 24 with counting of votes on the same day, after the seats fell vacant following the resignations of the three former TMC leaders last month.

The move has drawn sharp reactions from the Mamata Banerjee-led ...