In a significant political development, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from the Upper House on Wednesday and subsequently announced her departure from the party, becoming the second TMC parliamentarian to quit within a week.
Dev submitted her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, citing personal and political reasons. Speaking to reporters after her resignation, she said, “What prompted me to this decision is a very long story and in politics, I don't think that everything needs to be revealed.” She added, “I feel that I don't want to be in two boats.”
Her exit comes days after senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from both the party and the Rajya Sabha, raising fresh questions about unrest within the Trinamool Congress's parliamentary ranks.
Sushmita Dev joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 after ending her long association with the Congress. A former Lok Sabha MP from Silchar and ex-president of the All India Mahila Congress, she later emerged as one of the party's prominent national faces and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal.
Her resignation has also fuelled speculation about her future political course, particularly after reports of her meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma surfaced. However, Dev has not announced any decision regarding her next political move.
The development marks another setback for the party led by Mamata Banerjee, which has witnessed a series of resignations and internal disagreements in recent weeks. With two Rajya Sabha MPs quitting within days of each other, the spotlight has once again turned on the challenges confronting the party's leadership and organisational cohesion.
