Another setback for TMC: Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Ray quits
What's the story
Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray has resigned from the Upper House and quit the party. The resignation is a major setback for the TMC, which is currently facing an internal crisis after a rebellion among its MLAs in West Bengal. Notably, around 60 out of 80 TMC MLAs had recently supported expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
Leadership shakeup
What he said in resignation letter
In his resignation letter to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Sukhendu said the people had "given a huge mandate in favor of the BJP for the first time...to put an end to the 15-year anarchical rule of the TMC arising out of widespread unbridled corruption, atrocities committed against women, abysmal failure in...health, education, industry, law and order, employment, etc." Ray was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2011 and was nominated by the TMC for three consecutive terms.
Twitter Post
Read his letter here
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigns from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP and from the primary membership of AITC.
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2026
He says in a press statement, "The people have given a huge mandate in favour of the BJP for the first time in the history of the state to put an end to the 15-year anarchical… pic.twitter.com/sXFcUUKJ4C
Criticism voiced
Ray's warning on unrest spreading
Ray's resignation comes after he had publicly warned that unrest in the Assembly could spread to Parliament. He had also been critical of the party leadership over issues such as the RG Kar rape case investigation and corruption. "I had understood then that the TMC would collapse soon. The RG Kar incident triggered massive public protests against the party, but the leadership never tried to introspect the reasons behind its defeat," he said after stepping down.
TMC
INDIA bloc meeting underway
Asked if he will be joining another party, he told the Indian Express, "I have spent 59 years in politics. So I have to take a call at the appropriate time after introspection and retrospection." He also said he has "no idea" if other Rajya Sabha members are resigning. Roy's decision comes as Banerjee and her nephew and Trinamool general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, head to the national capital for a meeting of the INDIA opposition bloc.