Kolkata: In another setback for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday resigned from the party and from her membership of the Upper House.
Her resignation comes amid an ongoing internal rift within the party and a series of exits following the TMC’s defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Dev also met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi on Wednesday, fuelling speculation that she may join the BJP in the coming days. A former Congress leader, Dev joined the TMC after leaving the Congress. Her father, the late Santosh Mohan Dev, served as a Union Minister in the UPA-I government.
In her resignation letter, Dev thanked the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretariat officials for their support during her tenure and requested that her resignation be accepted with immediate effect.
Her exit follows the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray on June 8. Ray resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the TMC, blaming the party’s heavy electoral defeat on what he described as 15 years of “anarchical rule” under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The resignations have intensified speculation about a possible split within the TMC. Reports suggest that around 20 Lok Sabha MPs have rebelled against the party leadership.
Rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar recently confirmed that a group of 20 MPs had sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha. She said the group intended to work in coordination with both the Central and State governments for the development of West Bengal.
Meetings between rebel MPs, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari have further fuelled speculation about a possible merger of the faction with the NDA.
Under the anti-defection law, a two-thirds majority would be required for the rebel MPs to merge with another party without facing disqualification.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, while TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee recently held talks with Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi amid the party’s internal turmoil.
A separate rebellion has also emerged in the West Bengal Assembly. Expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee formed a separate faction with the support of 58 MLAs and was subsequently elected Leader of Opposition, replacing Sobhandev Chattopadhyay.
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