In a significant setback for former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev resigned from both the upper house of Parliament and the party on Wednesday. She subsequently met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at his residence in New Delhi.
Second Rajya Sabha MP to Quit TMC
Sushmita Dev is the second TMC Rajya Sabha MP to resign within days. On Monday, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy also quit the Upper House and the party, levelling allegations against the Trinamool leadership.
Rebel Camp Claims Majority Support
Sources within the rebel faction indicated that they have secured the backing of at least 19 Lok Sabha MPs, which constitutes two-thirds of the party's total strength of 28. They plan to stake claim to represent the party's parliamentary wing in the Lok Sabha. This strategy mirrors the approach taken by the rebel group of MLAs that earlier captured the party's legislative wing in the West Bengal assembly.
In a sign of the deepening crisis within the TMC, Saayoni Ghosh, a vocal loyalist of Mamata Banerjee, along with three Muslim MPs, is reportedly supporting the breakaway faction. This faction is expected to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
Rebel camp MP Satabdi Roy stated, "I do not know whether Saayoni has signed (the letter from the rebel bloc to the Speaker), but the others did." Saayoni Ghosh has not commented on the matter and remained unreachable on Thursday. Another name being mentioned as part of the rebel camp is Mala Roy, a long-time Mamata loyalist and MP from Kolkata South.
Rebel MPs and MLAs to Jointly Claim Party
Sources revealed that Mala Roy may have joined the Lok Sabha rebels led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. Both Saayoni and Mala were among the TMC office-bearers recently named by Mamata in a bid to quell internal unrest after reconstituting party organisational units. Mala also did not respond to calls.
A source indicated that rebel TMC MPs and MLAs would join forces to stake claim to the party. This tactic is similar to that adopted by breakaway factions of the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra. Both groups were later recognized by the Election Commission as the original parties and are now allies of the BJP.
The number of rebel MPs in the Lok Sabha has now reached 19. The list includes Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Satabdi Roy, Saayoni Ghosh, Mala Roy, Bapi Haldar, Partha Bhowmick, Asit Kumar Mal, Yusuf Pathan, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Mitali Bag, Kalipada Soren, Sharmila Sarkar, Rachna Banerjee, Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia, Arup Chakraborty, Deepak Adhikari (Dev), June Maliah, and Prasun Banerjee.
Sushmita Dev's Resignation and Future Plans
In her resignation letter, Sushmita Dev wrote, "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect. I convey my sincere gratitude to your Excellency, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a Member of the Rajya Sabha."
When asked about reports of her joining the BJP, Sushmita Dev told reporters, "When I take a decision, I will let you know." She asserted that she resigned due to "personal and political reasons." She explained, "I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats at the same time. That is not the right way to do it... because with the family background and upbringing I have, I have never stayed in one party and served another party." She made it clear that her political future lies in Assam and that the TMC, more so now, lacked a narrative for states beyond West Bengal.
