Sushmita Dev resigned from the Trinamool Congress and the Rajya Sabha on June 10, 2024 [1].

The departure of the former Congress leader signals potential shifts in the regional political landscape of Assam and West Bengal. Her move comes amid reported turmoil within the Trinamool Congress, adding pressure to the party's leadership.

Dev submitted her resignation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in New Delhi [2]. Following the resignation, she met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (BJP) in the capital to seek political guidance [2].

Dev described her decision as a personal one. "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" [3].

This resignation marks the second time a party MP has stepped down this week [4]. While Dev did not explicitly name a new political affiliation during her meeting with Sarma, observers have noted the meeting as a precursor to a possible entry into the Bharatiya Janata Party [2].

Dev's exit follows a trajectory of shifting alliances for the leader, who previously moved from the Congress to the Trinamool Congress before this latest resignation [2].

“I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats.”

The resignation of Sushmita Dev suggests a weakening of the Trinamool Congress's hold on former Congress stalwarts in the northeast. By seeking guidance from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Dev is positioning herself within the orbit of the BJP, which could further consolidate the party's influence in Assam while isolating the TMC's regional ambitions.