New Delhi, June 11, 2026
In a major blow to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from both the party and the Upper House on Wednesday, becoming the second TMC parliamentarian to quit within a week, following the resignation of senior leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy. 
The 53-year-old leader, daughter of Assam Congress veteran Santosh Mohan Dev, had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 after leaving the Congress party. She had earlier served as an MP from Silchar, the traditional stronghold of her father. 
Dev submitted her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, citing “personal and political reasons,” and sought its immediate acceptance. 
Shortly after resigning, Dev met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi, describing him as a guide and saying she had sought his advice before taking her next political steps.  Sources indicated that the meeting included discussions on a possible roadmap for her return to active politics in Assam. 
Her meeting with Sarma has fuelled speculation that she could join the BJP, which is currently in power both at the Centre and in Assam. With Dev’s resignation, the TMC’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has reportedly come down to 11 members. 
The development comes amid a widening revolt within TMC following the party’s embarrassing loss in the West Bengal Assembly Elections, 2026.  Dev has not yet announced her next political move officially.