Major jolt for Mamata Banerjee: Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray quits TMC

Kolkata: Veteran Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray resigned from the party and stepped down from the Upper House on Monday, inflicting a fresh setback on the Mamata Banerjee-led organisation amid mounting indications that the discord within its legislative branch is extending to its parliamentary delegation.

Ray, a founding member of the TMC and one of its most prominent figures in Parliament, declared his decision in the national capital just hours prior to a meeting of the INDIA bloc. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were scheduled to attend the session.

The resignation transpired only days after an unprecedented mutiny within the party's legislative faction in West Bengal, where 58 TMC lawmakers broke ranks with party leadership to support Ritabrata Banerjee for the position of Leader of the Opposition, rebuffing the party's designated candidate, Shovandeb Chattopadhyay.

The insurrection, which concluded with the Assembly Speaker officially recognising Ritabrata as the Leader of the Opposition, revealed significant fractures inside the party following its defeat in the assembly elections. The incident also intensified anxieties that the internal friction would proliferate beyond the state legislature.

In a public statement, Ray pointed to widespread corruption across both the governance and organisational arms of the party, asserting that public animosity toward the former TMC administration had escalated to critical thresholds.

The veteran lawmaker, who had gradually alienated himself from top party leadership over the last year, also directed sharp criticism toward the TMC’s management of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, a matter on which he had frequently expressed his opposition.

"I had publicly spoken out on the RG Kar hospital issue. Since then, I was increasingly isolated within the party. My only fault was that I demanded an internal inquiry against certain police officers because I believed they had a major role in the destruction of evidence," Ray told journalists in Delhi.

Ray contended that attempts were made during that period to protect accountable individuals, noting that he had psychologically committed to leaving the organisation shortly after the controversy erupted.

"That was the turning point. I realised I would not remain in the party for long," he said.

Ray further maintained that corruption had turned systemic across multiple sectors, driving public indignation to a level where electoral losses became unavoidable.

He called for an investigation into the assets and financial dealings of highly placed TMC leaders at the national level, alleging that principled elements within the party had been pushed to the periphery.

"Not everyone in the party is dishonest. But, many sincere people have been sidelined," he said.

The departure carries considerable weight not only due to Ray's extensive tenure but because it represents the first prominent defection from the TMC's parliamentary ranks since the internal instability commenced.

Political analysts remarked that the development carries heightened meaning because it transpired in Delhi precisely as top party strategists were convening with opposition allies at the INDIA bloc conference.

The strategic timing of the announcement has prompted renewed conjecture within political circles regarding potential dissatisfaction among a segment of TMC members of Parliament. Although no other federal lawmakers have openly declared opposition, party insiders conceded that internal deliberations concerning the trajectory of several leaders dissatisfied with the organisation's administration have escalated in recent weeks.

Following Ray's departure, the TMC's strength in the Rajya Sabha decreased to 12 members.

Ray, a scholar of constitutional law, has long served as one of the TMC’s primary parliamentary strategists and stood as one of its most articulate voices regarding legislative and constitutional matters.

When pressed about his upcoming intentions, Ray stated he had made no determinations regarding an alliance with another political faction, suggesting he might exit public life entirely.

"I may withdraw from politics altogether," he said.

The TMC leadership did not immediately offer a response to Ray's resignation.

With the state legislative rebellion still hanging in the balance, Ray’s exit is poised to intensify scrutiny over the TMC’s internal unity and generate fresh anxieties among leadership regarding whether the friction destabilising its assembly ranks might ultimately manifest in Delhi.

With inputs from PTI