Fresh jolt for TMC, Sushmita Dev quits
Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday resigned from the party and the Rajya Sabha, dealing a fresh blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led party, which is facing an internal storm after its defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls.
Dev’s resignation as MP has been accepted by Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan.
“Sushmita Dev, an elected member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the state of West Bengal, resigned her seat in the Rajya Sabha and her resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, with effect from June 10, 2026,” a notification from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.
Sources said Dev, who earlier quit the Congress 2021 to join the TMC, is likely to join the BJP as she met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after tendering her resignation.
Dev did not comment on TMC chief Mamata Banerjee or her plans. She said, “It’s my individual decision, what kind of politics I want to do and who should be my leader. I have my reasons, and that’s why I have made my decision.”
Regarding reports that she was joining the BJP, she said, “When I make a decision, I will let you know.”
Dev said she had resigned due to personal and political reasons and that “everyone has the right to change their mind, and to decide what kind of politics they want to do.”
She is the daughter of former Union minister and Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev. She previously served as an MP from Silchar in Assam and was also president of the All India Mahila Congress.
Earlier in the day, Dev met the Rajya Sabha chairman and handed over her resignation letter.
“I convey my sincere gratitude to your excellency, hon’ble deputy chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha secretariat extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha,” Dev said in the letter to the Chairman.
Dev is the second Trinamool Congress MP from the Rajya Sabha to resign this week. Another TMC leader, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, also left the party and gave up his seat in the Council of States.
Sources said several party MPs are considering forming a separate group and joining the ruling NDA. This is similar to what seven AAP MPs did when they left the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and later joined the BJP.
Most of Trinamool’s 80 MLAs have already formed a separate group. Ritabrata Banerjee is now the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly.
TMC rebels gain numbers
New Delhi: Veteran actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and actress Sayoni Ghose have joined the rebel TMC group, which has expressed support to the NDA. The announcement was made at a press conference in Kolkata on Wednesday evening. “I have spent my life fighting for the people, both on screen and in public life. This platform offers a chance to pursue genuine reform,” Sinha stated.