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New Delhi: The rebellion that first erupted within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislative ranks in West Bengal appears to have now spread to Parliament,
raising fresh questions over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's grip on the party. Days after a major revolt by TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly, the party has been hit by back-to-back resignations in the Rajya Sabha and claims of a possible split in its Lok Sabha unit. On Wednesday, TMC MP Sushmita Dev resigned from the Rajya Sabha. Dev is the second Rajya Sabha MP from TMC to resign this month amid the internal rebellion within the party.
From MLA Revolt to MP Rebellion
The crisis began in the West Bengal Assembly, where 58 of the TMC's 80 MLAs reportedly defied the party leadership's choice for Leader of the Opposition and instead backed expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee. The development exposed growing discontent within the party following its Assembly election setback.
TMC's Sushmita Dev resigns as Rajya Sabha MP
They are opportunists who are jumping ship... They have complaints against Abhishek Banerjee—that much is known. Beyond that, I do not know anything: TMC MP Saugata Roy speaks to @HeenaGambhir. pic.twitter.com/SyhsUnZVXM— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 10, 2026
The turmoil has now spilled over to Parliament.
Senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed that nearly 20 Lok Sabha MPs have decided to support the NDA and have communicated their position to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
"Nearly 20 TMC MPs, including me, have decided to support the NDA for Bengal's development. We have decided to write to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and formally support the NDA," the four-time MP told PTI.
Also Read: As TMC Rebellion Gathers Pace, Party Invokes 'Maa, Maati, Maanush' To Defend Turf
Another rebel MP, Sharmila Sarkar, claimed that the dissident MPs had formed a separate bloc under Ghosh Dastidar's leadership and decided to back the NDA after a meeting at Union Minister Bhupender Yadav's residence.
If the claim is accurate, it would represent a major blow to the TMC's parliamentary strength. The party currently has 28 Lok Sabha MPs, with one vacancy following the death of Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam. A group of 20 MPs would comfortably cross the two-thirds threshold required for protection under the anti-defection law, making disqualification proceedings difficult.
Two Rajya Sabha MPs Have Already Quit
While the Lok Sabha rebellion remains a claim by dissident leaders, the exits from the Rajya Sabha have already materialised.
On June 8, senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the party, citing what he described as widespread corruption and governance failures under the Trinamool regime.
"In respectful acceptance of this historic verdict of the people, I have resigned today from the Rajya Sabha as a member and also from the primary membership of the All India Trinamool Congress," Roy said in his resignation statement.
The exodus continued with Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev stepping down from both her parliamentary position and party posts.
In her resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, Dev wrote: "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect. I convey my sincere gratitude to your Excellency, Hon'ble Deputy Chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a Member of the Rajya Sabha."
Soon after her resignation, visuals emerged of Dev meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Delhi, further fuelling speculation about her political future.
How Many MPs Are Still With Mamata?
The TMC currently has 28 Lok Sabha seats on paper, though dissident leaders claim that nearly 20 MPs have decided to support the NDA. The party leadership has not officially acknowledged any split in its Lok Sabha unit.
In the Rajya Sabha, however, the numbers have already taken a hit. Following the resignations of Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Sushmita Dev, the TMC's strength in the Upper House has fallen to 11 MPs.
Reacting to the departures, senior TMC MP Saugata Roy told Times Now: "They are opportunists who are jumping ship.. They have complaints against Abhishek Banerjee—that much is known. Beyond that, I do not know anything."
With two Rajya Sabha resignations already confirmed and claims of a rebellion by nearly 20 Lok Sabha MPs, Mamata Banerjee faces her most serious internal challenge in years as the political crisis within the Trinamool Congress deepens.
