Sushmita Dev resigned from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and her Rajya Sabha seat on Wednesday [1].

Dev is a prominent political figure with deep ties to both Assam and West Bengal. Her departure marks a significant shift in her career as she moves away from the Bengal-based party to refocus on her home state. This exit also represents a continuing trend of attrition within the TMC's upper house representation.

Dev served as a national spokesperson for the TMC and as a member of the Rajya Sabha [1]. She is the second Rajya Sabha MP to resign from the party [1].

Her political trajectory has seen several shifts over the last few years. Dev previously served as a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Silchar, Assam [1]. She left the Congress party in 2019 after losing her seat to the BJP's Rajdeep Roy [1].

Following her departure from Congress, Dev joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 [1]. During her tenure with the TMC, she rose to the role of national spokesperson before securing her seat in the Rajya Sabha [1].

Dev said her political future lies in Assam, not Bengal [1]. By vacating her seat and leaving the party, she positions herself to re-enter the political landscape of Assam under different circumstances.

While the TMC has attempted to expand its footprint outside of West Bengal, the resignation of high-profile members like Dev suggests challenges in maintaining a diverse national coalition, especially when members seek to return to their regional roots.

“Sushmita Dev resigned from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and her Rajya Sabha seat on Wednesday.”

Dev's resignation underscores the difficulty the Trinamool Congress faces in retaining leaders from outside West Bengal. As the party attempts to project itself as a national alternative, the return of leaders to their home states suggests that regional identity and local electoral dynamics in Assam may outweigh the benefits of a Bengal-centric party platform.