• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Sushmita Dev resigned as TMC Rajya Sabha MP.
  2. Second TMC MP to resign from party this week.
  3. Met Assam CM, fueling BJP joining speculation.

West Bengal: In another blow to Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee, Sushmita Dev on Wednesday resigned from the party and Rajya Sabha. She is the second Rajya Sabha MP to step down from the party this week.

"I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect," Dev wrote in a letter addressed to Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan.

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The 53-year-old leader, who left the Congress party and joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021, had vowed to begin a 'new chapter in public service.

Dev's exit comes soon after Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray announced his resignation from the TMC. In an official statement, Ray launched a scathing attack on the party, criticising its 15-year rule in West Bengal.

'Have To Work In Assam'

Soon after resigning, Dev said that she wants to work in Assam now. She said, "I had political and personal reasons to do this. In an independent country, a politician can make any decision in their political life. I express gratitude towards the people of Bengal, but I have to work in Assam. Looking at this, I have taken this decision."

Sushmita Likely To Join BJP

According to a report by Jagran.com, citing sources, she is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This speculation was fueled by her meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after resigning.

Who Is Sushmita Dev?

Sushmita Dev is the daughter of Santosh Mohan Dev, a veteran Assam Congress leader and highly influential Bengali politician. She has served as the head of the All India Mahila Congress, the women's wing of the Congress.

She was a Member of Parliament from Silchar, Assam, her father's stronghold.

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TMC Crisis

These resignations come days after a major rebellion within the party's legislative wing in West Bengal. A total of 58 Trinamool MLAs broke away from the central leadership, rejecting the official candidate, Shovandeb Chattopadhyay, and backing Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of Leader of the Opposition.

Following this, a group of 20 TMC Lok Sabha members revolted against Mamata Banerjee, submitting a letter to Speaker Om Birla expressing their support for the BJP-led NDA.


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