Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the party on Wednesday, said she had both political and personal reasons for her decision. The former Congress leader said she did not want to be in a situation where she was “in two boats” at the same time and added that she would continue her political work from Assam.

“I have left the Trinamool Congress. It is a long story why I left TMC. I don’t want to be in a situation where I am in two boats at the same time. I will not comment on Mamata Didi,” she said.

Following her resignation from both the Trinamool Congress and the Rajya Sabha, Sushmita Dev met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the national capital on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dev described it as a “courtesy visit” and said she was currently taking a short 2-3 day break before carefully thinking about her future course of action.

“I am not directly involved in Bengal politics. I am from Assam and I am a free woman. I have been in Congress for a long time, so I paid a courtesy visit. I have a 2-3 day plan, so let me be on a few days’ sabbatical,” she said.

Although she did not disclose which party she may join next, she made it clear that, being from Assam, she would like to continue her political work in the state.

“I had political and personal reasons to do this. In an independent country, a politician can take any decision in their political life. I express gratitude to the people of Bengal, but I have to work in Assam. Keeping this in mind, I have taken this decision,” she said.

Dev also reiterated that her resignation from the Rajya Sabha was guided by principle, noting that the Upper House seat had been given to her by the Trinamool Congress.

Who is Sushmita Dev?

Sushmita Dev is a prominent Indian politician, former Member of Parliament (MP), and the daughter of late Congress veteran Santosh Mohan Dev. She has been a well-known political figure in Northeast India, particularly in Assam’.

Before joining the TMC, she spent nearly three decades in the Congress party. Her father, Santosh Mohan Dev, served as a Union Minister in the UPA-I government.

A former Congress MP from Silchar, Sushmita Dev left the party after her defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021. She quickly emerged as one of the party’s prominent national faces, serving as its national spokesperson before being nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

TMC faces growing internal crisis

Sushmita Dev’s resignation comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress is facing one of its biggest internal challenges in recent years.

More than 100 grassroots and senior TMC leaders have resigned since the declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election results on May 4.

Among them was veteran leader and founding member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the party’s primary membership. Senior leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar also stepped down as TMC Mahila Congress chief. Dastidar is considered a close associate of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and has been linked with the party leadership for more than four decades.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Shantanu Sen also resigned shortly after the election results.

At least four prominent TMC mayors, Firhad Hakim (Kolkata), Krishna Chakraborty (Bidhannagar), Ram Chakraborty (Chandannagar), and Kamalakanta Chakraborty (Katwa), have resigned from their civic posts.

All these developments come at a time when the TMC is facing one of its worst internal crises in recent years, with over 60 MLAs reportedly rebelling against the party leadership and supporting their own organisational reform movement led by rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee. Reports suggest that 61 MLAs have backed Banerjee while continuing to insist that Mamata Banerjee remains their leader, thereby avoiding any disciplinary action from the party chief.

Amid the growing crisis, Mamata Banerjee has reached out to opposition allies for support. On Tuesday, she held a closed-door meeting with Sonia Gandhi to discuss strengthening opposition coordination and the future of the INDIA bloc.