The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) is in a serious trouble today following the resignation of its Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who has become the second senior member to resign from the party within a week. Her resignation comes after the exit of the old girl leader, successful opposition leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who had publicly expressed disapproval and deplored the functioning of the party, its governance and corruption-related issues.
Sushmita Dev, who switched allegiances from the Congress Party to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021, had become one of the leading voices of the party at the national level, and has been named national spokesperson of the party by her leader as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Her departure has fuelled intense conjecture on the rapidly worsening discontent with Banerjee’s party.
The plight has worsened with a group of 19 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs reportedly having submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for their backing of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The group reportedly has a prominent bunch of MPs like Yusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saayoni Ghosh.
Tabled, the rebel lawmakers have made the setting up of a separate parliamentary faction under Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and while turning down demands for its recognition, promised support to the NDA. The organisation could be able to avoid facing a disqualification under the anti-defection law if the 2/3 marking is met.
The developments occur at a bad time for the Trinamool Congress, which had already suffered ding-dong voting and growing accusations of factionalism. The resignations of its 25 members could lead to a substantial loss of ground for the party in Parliament and could significantly change the political dimension of West Bengal in the next few months, according to political observers.