The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been hit by yet another seismic jolt. Party's Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik has resigned from the Upper House, making him the third TMC parliamentarian to quit the Rajya Sabha within a single week. Before him, veteran leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray walked out on June 8, followed by Sushmita Dev on June 10.
What began as a post-election wound in the West Bengal Assembly has now torn through the very heart of TMC's parliamentary presence.
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Three Resignations, Seven Days
The chain of exits has left the Mamata Banerjee-led party visibly shaken. Baraik, a 46-year-old Adivasi leader from northern Bengal known for his deep connect with tea garden workers and tribal communities, was sent to the Rajya Sabha in 2023, elected unopposed from West Bengal.
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He was widely regarded as a loyalist close to TMC's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. His term was to run until 2029.
How Did It Come to This?
The crisis has its roots in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections. The party was reduced to 80 seats in the 294-member House, a sharp fall for a party that had ruled Bengal for three consecutive terms.
Soon after the results, expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee claimed the post of Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. He had the backing of 58 of the party's 80 MLAs. The Assembly Speaker recognised the rebel camp. This handed the dissidents control of the opposition benches.
The expulsion of Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha over alleged anti-party activities only deepened the divide. Rather than ending the revolt, it gave the rebel camp a stronger rallying point.
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The Revolt Reaches Parliament
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said publicly that the unrest in the Assembly would spill over into Parliament. Days later, he resigned himself. He submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan. He also informed the party leadership of his decision to quit primary membership.
"I had my tenure till 2029 in the Rajya Sabha, but I have resigned in principle," he told reporters.
Sushmita Dev resigned two days later. A former Congress leader who had joined TMC in 2021, she met the Rajya Sabha Chairman and stepped down. She cited personal and political reasons for her exit.
Now Prakash Baraik has followed. Three resignations in one week marks an extraordinary moment for the party's presence in the Upper House.
Parallel Meetings and Internal Tensions
Reports suggest that 14 to 20 TMC MPs have held meetings in New Delhi in recent days. Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has been among the most vocal voices of dissent. She has claimed that 20 MPs wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking permission to join the NDA.
The party's loyalist camp responded firmly. TMC leaders demanded that any MP wishing to join another party should first resign from their current seat. They also questioned rebel MPs for maintaining public distance from other parties while privately engaging with their leaders.
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A Difficult Moment for the Party Leadership
The post-election period has been personally difficult for TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. She lost her own Bhabanipur constituency in the Assembly elections — one of the most talked-about results of the entire election.
Within the rebel camp, much of the anger appears directed at party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Dissenting leaders have accused him of contributing to the party's poor electoral performance. They allege issues around internal party functioning and decision-making. Their demand, broadly, is for greater accountability within the organisation.
What This Means Going Forward
Three Rajya Sabha seats going vacant in a single week has a real impact on the party's strength in the Upper House. The TMC's ability to raise issues and influence legislation in the Rajya Sabha weakens with every departure.
For the INDIA bloc, the instability within one of its key constituents raises questions at a time when opposition coordination is already under strain.
Political observers say the situation could stabilise - but only if the leadership addresses the internal grievances directly. The question is no longer whether the crisis is serious. It clearly is. The question is how the party chooses to respond.