Who Is Sushmita Dev? TMC Rajya Sabha MP Quits, Deepening Mamata Banerjee’s Troubles
Sushmita Dev, a former Congress MP from Silchar and later a prominent Trinamool Congress leader, has resigned from the Rajya Sabha. Her exit comes amid reports linking her to a possible move to the BJP, although no official announcement has been made. Dev's political journey spans the Congress, TMC and Parliament, making her one of Assam's best-known political figures.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Sushmita Dev has resigned from the Upper House, triggering fresh speculation about her political future. Her resignation comes days after another senior TMC leader, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, stepped down from both the Rajya Sabha and the party.
The development has drawn attention to Dev's political career, which has spanned both the Congress and the Trinamool Congress. Reports suggest she met Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi after submitting her resignation, fueling speculation that she could be headed for a new political assignment. However, no official announcement regarding her next move has been made. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy Resigns: TMC MP Steps Down From Rajya Sabha and Trinamool Congress Amid Growing Internal Turmoil.
Who Is Sushmita Dev?
Sushmita Dev is a politician from Assam and the daughter of late Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev, a veteran parliamentarian and former Union minister. She entered active politics through the Congress and emerged as a prominent face of the party in the Northeast. Dev represented the Silchar Lok Sabha constituency in Assam and served as a Member of Parliament after winning the 2014 general election.
Known for her work on women's issues and parliamentary debates, she also held key positions within the Congress, including leadership roles in the party's women's wing. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar Resigns From All TMC Posts After Attending Meeting Chaired by Suvendu Adhikari.
From Congress to Trinamool Congress
Following her defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Dev left the Congress in 2021 and joined the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.
Her rise within the party was swift. She was appointed as the party's national spokesperson and later nominated to the Rajya Sabha, becoming one of TMC's prominent national faces outside West Bengal. Over the past few years, she frequently represented the party on national political issues and participated in parliamentary discussions on behalf of the TMC.
Dev's resignation is the second high-profile exit from the party's parliamentary ranks within a week. Earlier, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the party. In his resignation letter to Mamata Banerjee, Sukhendu said the people of Bengal had "rejected the party's rampant corruption, extreme oppression of women, and its utter failure and the severe anarchy prevailing across sectors, including education, healthcare, industry, employment, and law and order."
Praising the BJP, Sukhendu further wrote: "The voters have, for the first time in Bengal’s history, given the Bharatiya Janata Party a massive victory in terms of seats. The newly elected government has already begun working to implement multiple programmes for Bengal’s overall development and reconstruction, in line with its election promises."
According to reports, Dev has submitted her resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and requested that it be accepted with immediate effect.
Sources cited in reports suggest she may join the BJP and could potentially contest a future election in Assam. However, neither Dev nor the BJP has officially confirmed any such move. For now, her resignation marks a significant moment in her political career and raises questions about her next role in national politics.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 10, 2026 12:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).