Sushmita Dev, a Rajya Sabha member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), resigned from the Upper House and the party on Wednesday [1].
The departure marks a significant blow to the party leadership under Mamata Banerjee. Dev is the second TMC MP to resign this week [2], following the earlier exit of Sukhendu Sekhar Roy [2].
Dev said the motivations behind her choice were personal and complex. She said that not all political details need to be made public and emphasized her commitment to transparency regarding her party affiliation.
"What prompted me to take this decision is a very long story, and in politics not everything needs to be revealed," Dev said [1]. "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" [1].
Dev's exit from the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi comes amid a period of internal shifts within the TMC. The loss of two parliamentary representatives within a single week suggests a period of instability for the party's representation in India's parliament.
While Dev did not specify a new political destination, her refusal to be in "two boats" suggests a definitive break from the TMC structure. The party has not yet issued a formal response to the resignations of Dev or Roy.
“"I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats."”
The resignation of Sushmita Dev, following closely after Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, indicates a potential trend of attrition within the Trinamool Congress's upper house delegation. By citing a refusal to serve one party while remaining in another, Dev's departure highlights internal ideological or strategic frictions that may weaken the party's legislative influence in New Delhi.
