Another jolt to TMC, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigns

The severe internal rebellion shaking the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has rapidly expanded beyond the state assembly and into the halls of Parliament. In a significant blow to party supremo Mamata Banerjee, prominent leader and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sushmita Dev officially tendered her resignation from the Upper House of Parliament on Wednesday. Her abrupt departure comes just a week after another highly trusted aide of Banerjee, veteran parliamentarian Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, unexpectedly stepped down from his Rajya Sabha seat, highlighting a widening fracture within the party’s central leadership.

This high-profile exit marks an alarming escalation in the crisis, which originally ignited within the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The internal turmoil reached a boiling point after 61 dissident MLAs openly revolted against the central leadership, throwing their substantial political weight behind rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee. By executing a highly coordinated coup, the dissident faction effectively wrested control over the party's legislative wing, leaving Mamata Banerjee's camp severely compromised and struggling to maintain its grip on the organizational hierarchy.

Sushmita Dev’s exit is particularly damaging given her rapid rise and national prominence within the Trinamool structure. A former Congress Lok Sabha MP representing Assam's Silchar constituency, Dev severed her decades-long ties with her former party following an electoral defeat in 2019. She officially joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 and was quickly integrated into its core strategic wing, serving as the party’s high-profile national spokesperson. Her loyalty and fierce communication skills were subsequently rewarded by the leadership with a coveted Rajya Sabha berth.

With Dev now abandoning her parliamentary post, the political narrative surrounding the Trinamool Congress has turned decidedly grim. The dual exits of Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy within a span of seven days strongly indicate that the internal mutiny is no longer localized to state-level legislators, but has successfully breached the party's federal unit. As the rebel camp grows increasingly assertive, political observers note that Mamata Banerjee is currently facing the most dangerous and unprecedented challenge to her absolute authority since she founded the organization.