Sushmita Dev, a Rajya Sabha MP for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), resigned from the upper house and the party on June 10, 2026 [1].
This departure signals a deepening crisis for the TMC, as it loses key legislative presence and faces growing internal instability. The move follows a pattern of high-level exits that threaten the party's cohesion in New Delhi and the east.
Dev announced her resignation in New Delhi before traveling to Assam, where she met with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma [1, 2]. The meeting has fueled speculation that she may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing the decision to leave the party, Dev said, "Can't be in two boats..." [3].
This exit is the second time a TMC MP has resigned from the Rajya Sabha in a single week [4]. While some reports did not list an explicit reason for the departure, other accounts point to internal party turmoil as a primary driver [1, 3].
The party's struggles extend beyond the upper house. Reports indicate that 20 of the 28 TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha rebelled and provided support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) [5]. This wave of dissent suggests a significant fracture in the party's leadership structure.
Dev's resignation adds to a series of setbacks for party leader Mamata Banerjee. The loss of seasoned legislators reduces the TMC's influence in parliamentary debates, and complicates its strategy for opposing the central government.
“"Can't be in two boats..."”
The resignation of Sushmita Dev, coupled with a massive rebellion in the Lok Sabha, suggests a systemic collapse of discipline within the Trinamool Congress. By meeting with the Assam Chief Minister immediately after quitting, Dev is signaling a likely shift toward the BJP, which would further consolidate the NDA's influence in the region while isolating the TMC's leadership.
