Sushmita Dev quits TMC, Rajya Sabha; says she won’t ‘ride two boats’ amid BJP speculation

New Delhi: Former Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday resigned from both the party and her Rajya Sabha seat, triggering fresh speculation about her political future after she described herself as a "free woman" and later met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi.

The former Congress leader, who joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021, submitted her resignation from the Upper House to Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, bringing an end to her tenure as a TMC parliamentarian.

While refusing to reveal her next political move, Dev made it clear that she had severed ties with the Mamata Banerjee-led party and would announce her future plans at an appropriate time.

“I am not directly involved in Bengal politics. I am from Assam and I am a free woman,” Dev told reporters after meeting Sarma, insisting that the interaction was merely a courtesy call. She added that she was taking a brief break before deciding her next step in politics.

Her resignation has intensified speculation that she could be heading to the BJP, particularly after her meeting with the Assam Chief Minister. However, Dev declined to comment on any possible political realignment.

Explaining her decision, Dev said she did not believe in remaining associated with one political party while serving another.

“I did not want to be in a situation where I was in two boats. That is not the right way to do politics,” she said, stressing that political loyalty and clarity had always guided her public life.

The former MP also said her departure from the Rajya Sabha was a matter of principle because the seat had been given to her by the Trinamool Congress.

“This morning, I resigned as a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. The Rajya Sabha seat was also given to me by the party, so if I have left the party, I should also leave the Rajya Sabha seat. This is because of my personality and politics,” she said.

In her resignation letter, Dev thanked the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Deputy Chairman and the House secretariat for their support during her tenure.

Her exit comes amid growing turbulence within the Trinamool Congress following the party’s recent electoral setbacks in West Bengal. Dev becomes the second TMC Rajya Sabha member to step down this week after Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from both the party and Parliament.

Dev said she would speak in greater detail about her future political plans in the coming days and is expected to travel to Assam to meet her family before making any formal announcement.

With PTI, ANI inputs