Sushmita Dev has resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the Trinamool Congress following a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma [1].
Dev's departure marks a significant shift in regional political alignments as she moves away from the West Bengal-based party to potentially refocus on state-level politics in Assam [2].
Dev joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 [3]. Her exit makes her the second Trinamool Congress MP to resign this week [4].
While Dev met with Sarma for political guidance, she said that the choice to leave was independent. "What prompted me to take this decision is a very long story, and in politics not everything needs to be revealed," Dev said. "I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats. I have never stayed in a party and served another. The decision is my own" [5].
However, other reports suggest the transition was more coordinated. An unnamed source said that Sarma discussed a road map for Dev's return to state politics [6]. This implies the Assam Chief Minister played a role in scripting her exit from the Trinamool Congress [2].
Dev has not publicly attributed her resignation to Sarma's influence, maintaining that the decision remained hers alone [5]. The move follows a period of political volatility for the Trinamool Congress, which has seen multiple departures from its parliamentary ranks in recent days [4].
“"I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats."”
The resignation of Sushmita Dev suggests a strategic realignment of political figures in Northeast India. By exiting the Trinamool Congress and coordinating with Himanta Biswa Sarma, Dev is positioning herself for a return to Assam's state politics, potentially weakening the Trinamool Congress's influence outside of West Bengal while strengthening the local political landscape under Sarma's guidance.
