Sushmita Dev, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP, resigned from the Upper House and her party membership on Wednesday [1].
This departure signals a deepening crisis for the party leadership. Dev is the second TMC MP to resign within a single week [2], highlighting a growing internal rebellion that threatens the stability of the party's legislative presence.
Following her resignation in New Delhi, Dev met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the capital [3]. The meeting suggests Dev may be pivoting toward Assam politics, potentially aligning with the state's current administration as she exits the TMC.
The resignation comes amid a broader wave of dissent within the party. Reports indicate that 61 TMC lawmakers are now backing a rebel leader [4], a movement that has prompted several high-profile departures.
Dev's exit follows a pattern of instability within the TMC ranks. While the party has not issued a formal statement on the specific terms of her departure, the timing coincides with the escalating numbers of lawmakers distancing themselves from the party line [4].
The meeting with Sarma in Delhi marks a significant shift in Dev's political trajectory. By engaging with the Assam Chief Minister immediately after quitting her seat, she has signaled a clear break from the TMC's organizational structure [3].
“Sushmita Dev is the second TMC MP to resign within a week.”
The resignation of Sushmita Dev and her immediate engagement with the Assam Chief Minister suggests a strategic realignment. With dozens of lawmakers backing a rebel faction, the TMC is facing a structural challenge to its authority. This trend indicates that the internal rebellion is moving beyond mere dissent and into a phase of active defection, which could weaken the party's influence in both the Rajya Sabha and regional politics.
