TMC's Prakash Chik Baraik Resigns from Rajya Sabha Amid Party Turmoil

Resignation of TMC Rajya Sabha Member

On Thursday, Prakash Chik Baraik, a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), submitted his resignation from the upper house. He is the third member of the party to resign this week.

According to sources, Baraik met with Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan to formally hand over his resignation.

In his resignation letter, Baraik, who represents West Bengal, stated, 'I hereby resign from my membership of the Rajya Sabha, and I request that it be accepted with immediate effect.' He also expressed gratitude to the Chairman, Deputy Chairman, and officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for their support during his tenure.

Background of Prakash Chik Baraik

Baraik, a tribal leader from West Bengal, was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, as well as the Advisory Committee on Tribal Affairs.

His resignation comes at a time when the TMC is facing a wave of departures. On Monday, fellow Rajya Sabha member Sukendu Shekhar Roy resigned, citing differences with the party leadership, and announced his exit from the TMC.

Following this, on Wednesday, Sushmita Dev, another Rajya Sabha member, resigned from both the Parliament and the party. She later met with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi, sparking speculation about her future political plans.

Impact on TMC and Ongoing Crisis

With Baraik's resignation, the TMC has lost three Rajya Sabha members this week, marking another significant setback for the party led by Mamata Banerjee.

The TMC is currently grappling with a serious crisis following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections and internal dissent, which has considerably weakened its organizational and legislative strength.

Last week, more than two-thirds of the party's MLAs (58 out of 80) broke away from the official TMC legislative party and were recognized as the main opposition group in the West Bengal Assembly under the leadership of expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee. The rebel faction claims that their numbers have since increased.

Rebel MPs and Their Support

This crisis has extended to Parliament as well. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, leading the group of rebel MPs, claimed to have the support of over 20 Lok Sabha members. On Wednesday, Sayoni Ghosh, MP from Jadavpur, and Mala Roy, MP from Kolkata South, also joined the ranks of dissatisfied MPs.