Behind Sushmita Dev’s TMC Exit: A Complex Web Of Divided Loyalties
Sushmita Dev quits TMC and Rajya Sabha, fueling BJP switch speculation.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has resigned from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and stepped down from the Upper House of Parliament, marking another high-profile exit from the party amid growing speculation of internal unrest. Her departure adds to a series of recent resignations that have raised questions about widening fissures within the Mamata Banerjee-led organisation.
Explaining her decision, Dev said she no longer wanted to be in a position where her political loyalties appeared divided. She stated that the reasons behind her exit were complex and could not be summarised briefly, indicating that her decision followed prolonged reflection. While addressing her resignation, she notably refrained from making any direct remarks about TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Describing her departure from the party and the Rajya Sabha as a personal turning point, Dev said she now feels like a “free woman.” Her comments suggest a desire to move away from organisational constraints and political ambiguity, even as questions continue to circulate about her next steps in public life.
Also Read: Sushmita Dev Resigns From Rajya Sabha, Meets Assam CM After TMC Exit
Earlier in the day, Dev met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi, a development that has fuelled speculation about her possible political realignment. However, she characterised the meeting as a courtesy call, adding that she has known Sarma for a long time and denying any immediate political implications behind the interaction.
In her resignation letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Dev expressed gratitude to the House leadership and Secretariat for their support during her tenure as a parliamentarian. Her exit comes shortly after another TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, also resigned from both the House and the party, citing dissatisfaction over the party’s recent electoral performance.
The back-to-back departures have intensified discussions around possible internal divisions within the Trinamool Congress. Reports of dissenting MPs and attempts to form separate groupings in Parliament have further added to the political uncertainty surrounding the party’s organisational unity. Dev, who joined the TMC after leaving the Congress, is the daughter of late Congress leader and former Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev.
Also Read: Rajya Sabha Chairman Accepts Resignation Of TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray
