Troubles for the Trinamool Congress seem to continue as its Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned on Monday.
The development comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress is facing a major internal rebellion that threatens to split the party, just months after losing its mandate and the West Bengal government.
Ray reached Parliament this morning to submit his resignation. He has also quit his Trinamool membership, though it is not yet clear if he intends to join another party.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha elections are set for June 18, with the last date of filing nominations being today, i.e., June 8.
Ray described the election verdict as the outcome of the “15-year anarchical rule” of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which he said was marked by widespread corruption, atrocities against women, and severe failures in health, education, industry, law and order, employment, and other key sectors.
“In the recently held West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections, the people have given a massive mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time in the state’s history to end the 15-year anarchical rule of the Trinamool Congress, arising out of unbridled corruption, atrocities against women, and abysmal governance in health, education, industry, law and order, employment, and other areas,” he said.
Ray also praised the newly elected BJP government for initiating developmental measures in line with its election manifesto.
“Meanwhile, the newly elected people’s government has begun taking initiatives for the overall development and reconstruction of West Bengal as per its promises. In respectful acceptance of this historic mandate, I have today resigned from the Rajya Sabha as well as from the primary membership of the All India Trinamool Congress,” he added.
Never-ending trouble for TMC
Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has been facing continuous setbacks since it lost the West Bengal assembly elections last month. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray’s resignation comes amid growing speculation of a major split in the TMC, with reports suggesting that as many as 20 Lok Sabha MPs may also quit the party.
This follows a rebellion in the state assembly led by expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee.
Banerjee, who was expelled from the TMC for anti-party activities, formed a separate faction with the support of 58 MLAs and was later elected as Leader of Opposition, replacing Sobhandev Chattopadhyay.
The Ritabrata Banerjee faction has been openly criticising Abhishek Banerjee’s leadership, holding him responsible for the party’s crushing defeat in the recent assembly polls.
