TMC's Sushmita Dev Quits Party and Rajya Sabha, Meets Himanta

Soon after resigning from the Rajya Sabha, Dev met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was in Delhi for an event, fuelling speculation that she may join the BJP.

Dev said she had resigned for personal and political reasons, adding that everyone had the right to change their mind and decide what kind of politics they wanted to pursue.

“It is my individual decision what kind of politics I want to do and who should be my leader. I have my reasons and that is why I have taken this decision,” Dev said, adding that she would announce her political plans in the coming days.

Dev, daughter of former Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev, had earlier served as a Congress Lok Sabha MP from Silchar in Assam.

Her resignation was accepted by Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan. “Sushmita Dev, an elected member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the State of West Bengal, resigned her seat in the Rajya Sabha and her resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, with effect from June 10, 2026,” a notification from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.

Meanwhile, a list containing the names of 20 MPs who had allegedly rebelled against Mamata Banerjee and were backing the NDA under the leadership of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was circulating on social media. The names included Yusuf Pathan, Shatrughan Sinha, Sayoni Ghosh and Mala Roy, among others. However, there was no official confirmation of the list.

Amid the reported rebellion within the party, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. On Tuesday, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had met Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Wednesday’s meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee triggered speculation about a possible merger of the two parties, though leaders of both the Congress and the TMC denied such a possibility.

There was also speculation that Banerjee, facing rebellion within her party in West Bengal, may contest the bypoll from the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, which fell vacant in September 2024 following the death of sitting TMC MP Haji Sheikh Nurul Islam. The bypoll to the Basirhat seat is pending due to an ongoing court case.

Another theory doing the rounds is that Ms Banerjee may be brought to the Rajya Sabha as Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House.

Congress sources, however, maintained that the meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee should be seen as part of the ongoing engagement between the Congress and the TMC following discussions at the I.N.D.I.A. bloc meeting held in Delhi earlier this week.

Insiders said the discussion centred on the future course of action for the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. At the alliance’s August meeting, the bloc is expected to come out with specific resolutions, including a demand for voting through paper ballots.