The TMC has been ruffled once more by Sushmita Dev’s decision to walk away from the party and her upper house post. On the heels of another senior’s resignation, it only puts a finer point on the state of things inside Mamata Banerjee’s camp and how they plan to handle their parliamentary game in these trying times.
Those in the know say Dev was in front of C.P. Radhakrishnan, the Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, to hand over her resignation at about 1 p.m. You can be sure there is a hole in the TMC bench now; she was one of the few who could put across a national point of view and her going leaves the party’s voice in Delhi a little thinner.
A strategic voice walks out
If you were in the TMC, you knew to go to Dev when it came to talking up the party line on big issues. Being in the Rajya Sabha made her a familiar presence in Parliament, whether in a debate or behind closed doors for some negotiations.
She has come on strong in a short while. She was with the Congress and an MP from Silchar in Assam before making the switch to TMC in 2021, some time after her 2019 loss. The party saw fit to give her a Rajya Sabha nod and a key role in communications as a kind of thanks for her clout.
Resignations in quick succession
You don’t have to look far for context: veteran Sukhendu Shekhar Ray has already left. Then there was Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who stepped down from all her TMC positions. It’s a run of departures the TMC can’t really do without.
There is also talk of a restive element building up. Some say a group led by Dastidar is not on board with where the top brass is heading. She has said as much, noting that quite a few of the TMC’s own in Parliament are not happy. That’s a test of management for the inner circle.
Why this matters for Mamata Banerjee
It is a matter of both organisation and politics for the West Bengal CM. Dev was the one you saw in Delhi putting the party’s case across. Without her, you might see a lag in how they handle the media and push their legislative agenda.
And there is the empty chair in the Rajya Sabha to think about. In the TMC, it is not just a numbers game; it is about who is there to make the argument and hold the line. For now, Dev’s being gone makes for a more complicated dynamic on the floor.
Here is what we have so far:
– Sushmita Dev is out of the TMC and the Rajya Sabha
– The paperwork was done at 1 p.m. or thereabouts
– We have had the recent exit of Sukhendu Shekhar Ray
– And before that, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar left her party roles
What comes next
Now the onus is on the party to show there is no drift and to win back the trust of its MPs. There is enough chatter about fissures in the ranks already; if anyone else goes, it will only add to the story.
We don’t know what Dev has in mind for her future. As for the TMC, they need to keep the show on the road in Parliament and be clear in what they are saying. Whether this is a passing phase or something more will depend on how well the leadership mends its ways and quiets any unease in the coming days.
