New Delhi: A fresh setback has hit the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigning from both the party and Parliament, becoming the second TMC Rajya Sabha member to quit within days amid an escalating internal crisis.
Dev formally submitted her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan, seeking immediate acceptance of her decision. Shortly afterwards, images emerged of her meeting Himanta Biswa Sarma at his Delhi residence, fuelling speculation about her future political plans.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Dev stressed that her decision to leave the Trinamool was entirely personal. While declining to disclose all the reasons behind her move, she said she did not want to remain in a situation where her political commitments were divided. She described herself as a “free woman” and indicated a desire to focus on public service in Assam, particularly in the Barak Valley region from where her family has deep political roots.
When asked about her meeting with the Assam Chief Minister, Dev said she sought his guidance, describing him as the right person to advise her at this stage of her political journey. However, she stopped short of revealing whether she intended to join another party.
The daughter of veteran Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev, Dev joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 after leaving the Congress, where she had served as president of the All India Mahila Congress. She was previously elected to the Lok Sabha from Silchar in Assam.
Her resignation comes amid widening unrest within the Trinamool Congress. Earlier this week, senior Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray also resigned from the party and Parliament, publicly criticising the organisation and its leadership.
The departures follow an unprecedented rebellion within the party’s legislative wing in West Bengal, where dozens of MLAs defied the leadership and backed rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of Leader of the Opposition. The developments have exposed deep divisions within the party following its electoral setback in West Bengal and raised concerns that the political turmoil could continue to intensify in the coming weeks.
