From Rahul Gandhi confidante to TMC MP: Why Sushmita Dev's exit is more than just another resignation

NEW DELHI: The resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has dealt another major blow to the party at a time when it is grappling with an unprecedented internal rebellion and the fallout of its defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections.

A prominent political figure from the northeast and one of TMC's most recognisable faces outside Bengal, Sushmita's departure comes just days after Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray quit the party, intensifying speculation about a wider exodus from Mamata Banerjee's camp.



From Congress loyalist to TMC's northeast face
Before joining the TMC in 2021, Sushmita Dev was among the Congress's most prominent women leaders. She served as president of the All India Mahila Congress and was considered close to Rahul Gandhi and the party's top leadership.

Her resignation from the Congress in August 2021 was viewed as a significant setback for the grand old party, particularly because she came from one of the most influential political families in the northeast.

Sushmita is the daughter of late Congress stalwart Santosh Mohan Dev, a seven-term Lok Sabha MP and former Union minister in the UPA government. The Dev family has long enjoyed considerable political influence in Assam and Tripura, making Sushmita a leader with deep roots and grassroots connections in the region.

She won the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Assam's Silchar constituency but lost in 2019 amid changing political dynamics following the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) debate and the BJP's growing dominance in the northeast.

When Sushmita joined the TMC in 2021, the party was aggressively pursuing its national expansion plans after Mamata Banerjee's sweeping victory in West Bengal. The northeast was a key target.

TMC sought to build a political footprint in Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, and Sushmita fit perfectly into that strategy. Her political legacy, regional influence and Bengali-speaking voter connect made her one of the party's most valuable assets beyond Bengal.

Why her exit matters
Sushmita Dev's resignation is significant not merely because of her parliamentary position but because it weakens one of the few bridges TMC had built outside West Bengal.

For years, Mamata Banerjee's party projected itself as a natnonal alternative and invested heavily in expanding into the northeast.

Her departure raises fresh questions about the future of TMC's ambitions in Assam and Tripura and whether the party can retain whatever organisational presence it has built in the region over the past few years.

The timing is equally damaging.

TMC is already facing a major internal revolt after its electoral defeat in West Bengal. Several MPs and MLAs have openly rebelled, while a faction of MPs has sought separate seating arrangements in Parliament.

Reports of possible defections and merger talks have further fuelled uncertainty within the party.

Another sign of TMC's post-election troubles
Sushmita's exit is being viewed by political observers as part of a broader churn within the TMC following its loss of power in Bengal.

While speculation continues about her future political plans, including a possible move to the BJP, her resignation marks the end of a chapter that began when TMC sought to transform itself from a Bengal-centric force into a national player.