Sushmita Dev, a Rajya Sabha MP for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), has resigned from her seat and all party posts this week [1].

The departure of the 53-year-old lawmaker [1] signals a deepening internal crisis for the TMC, as the party faces growing dissent and a series of high-profile exits.

Dev addressed her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan in New Delhi [2]. In a statement, Dev said, "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect" [1].

Following her resignation, Dev was seen meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma [2]. While some reports suggest she may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) [3], other accounts only confirm the meeting took place without specifying a new political affiliation [4].

This move marks the second time a TMC leader has quit within a single week [3]. The party previously saw the resignation of its Rajya Sabha chief whip, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy [3].

The exits come amid reports of a rebel faction forming within the party. Some reports indicate that other members, including Saayoni Ghosh, may be backing this dissident camp [5].

The loss of these members represents a setback for TMC leader Mamata Banerjee as the party attempts to maintain its stability, and influence in the Upper House.

“"I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect."”

The resignation of Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy suggests a systemic fragmentation within the Trinamool Congress. By exiting the party and meeting with a high-ranking official from the BJP, Dev's move may encourage further defections from the TMC to the BJP or a separate rebel faction, potentially weakening Mamata Banerjee's legislative leverage in the Rajya Sabha.