Sushmita Dev Cites Assam's Future and Bengal Mandate for TMC Exit

Sushmita Dev, a prominent political figure and former Rajya Sabha MP, has announced her resignation from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and her seat in the Upper House of Parliament on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Her decision, which she described as driven by 'personal and political reasons,' stems from a clear assessment of the Trinamool Congress's viability in Assam and the broader political landscape influenced by recent election outcomes in both Assam and West Bengal.

Speaking to reporters, Dev, who hails from Assam's Barak Valley, asserted that her political future must lie within her home state. She explicitly stated, 'my politics is primarily in Assam,' and that 'my future, if any, in politics has to be in Assam.' This declaration highlights a fundamental divergence from her role within the TMC, which primarily operates from West Bengal. She further elaborated that 'what unfolded after May 4 gave me every reason to believe that I may not have a future there' and that resigning from the Rajya Sabha and party membership was a 'wise decision.'

Dev's resignation follows a period of internal turmoil within the TMC, which has faced significant challenges after losing the recent West Bengal Assembly elections to the BJP. She pointed to the mandates of both Assam and West Bengal, where the BJP secured decisive victories, as key factors in her decision-making process. She observed that while her 'ex high command is from Bengal, they lost,' her politics is in Assam, 'where BJP won 102 seats.' She also mentioned the absence of a party president for TMC in Assam, despite her efforts to improve the party's position in the state, even winning a seat in Mandia against the odds.

Immediately following her resignation, Sushmita Dev held a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi, a move that has intensified speculation about her potential alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While she described the meeting as a 'courtesy visit' and refrained from confirming an immediate switch, she openly sought Sarma's guidance for her future political course. Dev, who is the daughter of late Congress stalwart Santosh Mohan Dev, has a considerable political history, having served as a Lok Sabha MP from Silchar, Assam, between 2014 and 2019, and as an MLA in Assam from 2011 to 2014, before joining the TMC in 2021 after leaving the Congress.

Dev's departure marks the second such resignation from the Rajya Sabha by a TMC MP within a week, following Sukhendu Sekhar Ray's resignation, who also cited the West Bengal election results. This series of resignations underscores growing internal divisions within the Trinamool Congress, with reports suggesting a significant number of MLAs and MPs have rebelled against the party leadership. Dev, however, refuted any claims of being threatened or coerced into leaving the TMC, stating, 'Nobody threatened me. I resigned from TMC at around 10.15 or 10.30, sent it via WhatsApp. After that, at 10:45, I went to the Vice-President and submitted my resignation from the Rajya Sabha seat. Then I went in broad daylight to the CM's residence saying I want to work in Assam.'

She emphasized that her decision was a practical one, driven by the ground realities in Assam and her conviction that she could not effectively work for the people of Assam while remaining in the TMC. Her focus, she reiterated, is on serving the people of Assam, and she expressed hope for future opportunities to do so as a public representative. The Cachar district TMC president, Rajesh Deb, indicated that other party office-bearers and supporters in the district might follow Dev's lead and join the BJP, further highlighting the potential ripple effect of her resignation in Assam.