The Trinamool Congress (TMC) internal crisis has severely intensified. In the second major blow to party supremo Mamata Banerjee this week, national spokesperson and prominent leader Sushmita Dev resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat on Wednesday.
Adding significant political weight to her exit, photos surfaced shortly after her resignation showing Dev meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi, fueling intense speculation of an imminent switch to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A Week of Rapid Defections for TMC
Sushmita Dev’s exit comes closely on the heels of another high-profile departure. Earlier this week, veteran parliamentarian Sukhendu Sekhar Ray also resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP, openly striking out against the party leadership.
| Rebel Leader | Previous Role in TMC | Reason stated / Action taken |
| Sukhendu Sekhar Ray | Veteran MP & Face of TMC in Parliament | Resigned; publicly cited “unbridled corruption” and “anarchical rule” within the party. |
| Sushmita Dev | National Spokesperson (Former Congress Mahila Chief) | Resigned from Rajya Sabha; immediately held a high-level meeting with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. |
Mamata Banerjee Faces an Internal Party Implosion
The sudden parliamentary resignations come at a time when the TMC is navigating a severe existential crisis following its recent defeat to the BJP in the West Bengal state assembly elections. Stripped of power after three consecutive terms, the party’s internal structure is fracturing under intense pressure:
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The Assembly Revolt: Last week, MLA Ritabrata Banerjee staked a claim to the title of Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal State Assembly, operating with the backing of 58 rebel lawmakers.
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The Parliamentary Fracture: Senior MP Kakoli Ghosh openly expressed intentions to split the parliamentary party, claiming the support of 19 rebel MPs eager to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
A Fragmented Front: Sukhendu Sekhar Ray notably timed his resignation in Delhi just hours before a scheduled meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc, which was meant to be attended by Mamata Banerjee and TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Ray explicitly stated that public anger against the party’s leadership and organizational corruption had hit an alarming breaking point.
Sushmita Dev, who previously served as the chief of the All India Mahila Congress, had switched over to the TMC in 2021. Her swift meeting with Himanta Biswa Sarma highlights a rapidly shifting political landscape in northeast and eastern India, leaving the TMC scrambling to prevent a total organizational collapse.
