TMC's RS MP Sushmita Dev quits party; seen meeting Himanta
What's the story
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sushmita Dev has resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha and quit the party. This is the second resignation of a TMC Rajya Sabha MP in just three days. Just days earlier, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy quit the Upper House and the party. The 53-year-old leader had joined the TMC in 2021 after leaving the Congress. She swiftly rose through the ranks, becoming the party's national spokeswoman and eventually obtaining a Rajya Sabha berth.
Himanta
Ex-MP seen with Himanta Sarma
After putting down the papers, a picture has surfaced online, showing a smiling Dev meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was also once with the Congress. Dev is the daughter of the late Assam Congress stalwart Santosh Mohan Dev, and she was also the chief of the All India Mahila Congress before switching sides to the TMC. Sources told India Today that she is likely to join the BJP.
Party shakeup
Veteran leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray quits
Dev's resignation comes on the heels of veteran TMC leader Ray quitting from both Parliament and the party. In his resignation statement, Ray criticized the TMC and its 15-year rule. "Already, the newly elected state government....has started working to fulfill the promises made in its election manifesto and has started multiple programs for the overall development and progress of West Bengal. I accept this overwhelming verdict from the people of West Bengal in the recently concluded West Bengal assembly elections."
Internal conflict
Rebellion in TMC's Bengal unit
The resignations come after a major revolt in the party's legislature wing in Bengal. Fifty-eight TMC MLAs defied party leadership and backed expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee for Leader of the Opposition, rejecting Shovandeb Chattopadhyay as the official nominee. This rebellion led to Ritabrata's recognition as LoP by the Assembly Speaker, highlighting deep divisions within the organization after its defeat in recent assembly polls.
MP
20 MPs say they want to align with NDA
As the party leadership scrambles to solve the infighting, another revolt was seen at the parliamentary level. TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who was upset after being removed from the post of the whip on Monday, said that nearly 20 party MPs had sought to align with the NDA. Nearly 20 MPs, including her, "have decided to write to Speaker Om Birla and formally convey our desire to be part of the NDA," she said.