Sushmita Dev, a Rajya Sabha MP for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), resigned from her parliamentary seat and the party on June 10, 2024 [3].
This departure signals deepening instability within the TMC and represents a significant blow to the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. The exit comes as the party faces internal turmoil and a potential shift in political alignments among its senior members.
Dev is the second Rajya Sabha MP to resign from the party this week [1]. Her departure occurred on the third day of resignations within the party during this specific week [2]. The move follows a meeting between Dev and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, which has fueled widespread speculation that she may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) [1].
The resignation of a Rajya Sabha member requires a formal process in New Delhi, but the political impact is felt most acutely in West Bengal and Assam. While Dev has not officially announced a new party affiliation, the timing of her meeting with the Assam Chief Minister suggests a strategic realignment.
Reports indicate that other members, including Saayoni Ghosh, may be backing a rebel camp within the party [1]. This suggests that Dev's resignation is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader trend of discontent within the TMC ranks. The party has not yet provided a formal response to the specific allegations of a rebel camp or the reasons behind the sudden wave of exits.
“Sushmita Dev resigned from her parliamentary seat and the party on June 10, 2024.”
The resignation of Sushmita Dev reflects a precarious moment for the Trinamool Congress as it struggles to maintain cohesion. By losing high-profile legislators to potential rivals like the BJP, the party risks losing critical influence in the upper house and weakening its grip on regional power bases. This trend of defections often precedes larger electoral shifts, suggesting that internal fractures within the TMC are becoming public vulnerabilities.
