In a major political development just weeks before the West Bengal Assembly elections, Kurseong MLA Bishnu Prasad Sharma has officially joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), delivering a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Darjeeling hills.

Sharma, who had distanced himself from the BJP earlier, completed his formal induction at the TMC headquarters in Kolkata on Thursday. His move comes at a politically sensitive time as the state prepares for elections to the 294-member Assembly, with the current term set to end in May.

The Kurseong legislator had earlier contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Darjeeling as an Independent candidate after breaking ranks with the BJP. His differences with the party reportedly grew over unmet regional promises and dissatisfaction regarding the handling of hill-related issues.

Sharma has long been a vocal supporter of the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. He has consistently argued that the Darjeeling Hills require focused governance and faster development. According to sources close to him, he believes aligning with the ruling party in the state could provide a stronger platform to raise the region’s concerns.

Reacting to the defection, BJP leaders attempted to downplay its impact. The party’s chief whip in the Assembly, Shankar Ghosh, said Sharma had not been actively involved in party affairs for some time and claimed that his influence in Kurseong was limited. BJP insiders suggested that the party’s core support base in the hills remains intact despite the setback.