Sushmita Dev resigned from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and her seat in the Rajya Sabha on June 10, 2026 [1].
The departure of a high-profile leader and former All India Mahila Congress president signals deepening instability within the TMC. Her subsequent meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (BJP) suggests a potential shift in political allegiance that could further weaken the party's standing in the region.
Dev is the second TMC MP to resign from the Rajya Sabha, following the earlier departure of Sukhendu Shekhar Roy [2]. This move comes amid a period of significant internal turmoil for the party. The leadership is currently facing a crisis of confidence as several members of the legislative wing have distanced themselves from the party line.
Recent reports indicate a wider collapse of party discipline within the lower house. Specifically, 20 of the 28 Lok Sabha MPs from the TMC rebelled and provided support to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) [2]. This mass defection has left the party struggling to maintain its legislative influence.
Following her resignation, Dev traveled to Assam to meet with Sarma [1]. While no official announcement regarding a party switch has been made, the meeting has fueled widespread speculation that she may join the BJP. The timing of the meeting, occurring immediately after her formal exit from the Upper House, underscores the urgency of her political transition.
The TMC has not yet issued a formal response to the resignation or the meeting in Assam. However, the loss of Dev adds to a series of setbacks for the party leadership as it attempts to manage the fallout from the rebellion of its Lok Sabha members [2].
“Sushmita Dev resigned from the Trinamool Congress and her seat in the Rajya Sabha.”
The resignation of Sushmita Dev, coupled with the rebellion of the majority of the TMC's Lok Sabha MPs, indicates a systemic collapse of party discipline. If Dev formally joins the BJP, it would represent a strategic victory for the NDA in Assam and West Bengal, further isolating the TMC leadership and potentially triggering more defections from the party's remaining legislative members.
