TMC Faces Internal Turmoil as More MPs Resign from Rajya Sabha
Internal Strife in TMC Escalates
The internal conflict within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) appears to be spiraling out of control. On Thursday, the party received another significant blow when Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Barik resigned from his position in the Upper House. He is the third TMC MP to resign from Parliament within just a week. Prior to Barik, veteran leaders Sukendu Shekhar Roy and Sushmita Dev had already stepped down, shaking the party's leadership.
With Barik's resignation, the number of TMC MPs in the Rajya Sabha will drop to ten. Sources have indicated that three more TMC MPs may resign within the next week, potentially deepening the crisis for the party led by Mamata Banerjee.
Crisis Triggered by Key Resignations
The turmoil among TMC MPs began with the resignation of Mamata Banerjee's trusted aide, Sukendu Shekhar Roy, on Monday. At that time, Banerjee was in Delhi holding several meetings with leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Sonia Gandhi, discussing strategies against the BJP and the future direction of the party following losses in the 2026 assembly elections.
Day by day, Mamata's grip on her legislative party seems to be weakening; out of 80 MLAs, 58 have shown support for rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee. This number has now increased to 64. Ritabrata, who was chosen as the leader of the opposition in the Bengal assembly despite Mamata's displeasure, claims that more MLAs will join the rebel faction in the coming days.
Rebellion Spreads to Delhi
As Mamata's faction in the assembly began to crumble, the rebellion quickly spread to Delhi. In the Rajya Sabha, Roy, who served as the party's chief whip for 13 years, initiated the wave of resignations. Following him, Sushmita Dev resigned on Wednesday, and Barik followed suit on Thursday. Reports suggest that by the end of next week, three more MPs may leave the party.
However, this crisis is not confined to the Bengal assembly and Rajya Sabha; it has rapidly extended to the Lok Sabha as well. Upon returning to Kolkata after a three-day visit to Delhi, sources revealed the names of 19 Lok Sabha MPs who are reportedly looking to break away and join the NDA.