There seems to be no end to the Trinamool Congress' troubles, with Rajya Sabha MP and former Silchar MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday quitting the party and resigning from the Upper House, adding to a string of departures that have exposed growing fissures within the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit, ANI reported.
Explaining her decision to quit, Dev said the reasons behind her exit were extensive and could not be summed up briefly. She noted that she did not want to continue in a situation where her loyalties appeared divided.
Choosing not to comment on TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, the former MP described her resignation as a moment of personal liberation, saying, “Today, I am a free woman.”
Dev said she met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi earlier in the day, a move that has fuelled speculation about a possible switch to the BJP.
However, she described the meeting as a courtesy call, saying she has known the Assam chief minister for a long time.
In her resignation letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Dev expressed gratitude to the House leadership and Secretariat for their support during her tenure.
Her resignation comes days after Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray quit both the Upper House and the TMC, criticising the party over its recent electoral performance.
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The developments have intensified speculation about internal divisions within the TMC, with reports of a rebel faction seeking separate recognition in Parliament.
Dev had joined the TMC after leaving the Congress. She is the daughter of late Congress veteran and former Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev.
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