A setback is being reported for the tmc in west bengal as former members of parliament have joined the bjp ahead of rajya sabha bypolls. Several former tmc rajya sabha members, including sushmita dev, are among those who have joined the bjp. The extent of the defections is unclear, with reports of both rajya sabha and lok sabha members leaving the tmc, although the details and numbers involved are not consistent across accounts.