TMC Exodus Continues, Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik Quits

In his resignation letter addressed to Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan, Baraik said that he was resigning from the membership of the Assembly with immediate effect.

“I resign from the Rajya Sabha membership, please accept this with immediate effect,” the letter read. it said.

He also expressed his gratitude to the President and the Secretariat for their support during his term of office.

“I express my sincere gratitude to your Excellency, Mr. Deputy Speaker and all the staff of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for extending all kinds of assistance and cooperation during my tenure as a Member of the Rajya Sabha,” the letter said. The statement was included.

This development comes at a time when internal discord within the Trinamool Congress has intensified. A series of resignations and allegations of rebels have increased uncertainty about the internal integrity of the party and rumors of a possible merger.

Rebel TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday categorically rejected speculations of any merger between the opposition group and the Congress, asserting that the ongoing developments remain strictly within the organisation.

Claiming that the support for her group has increased from 58 to 64 MLAs, Banerjee told ANI, “The number is now 64 (MLAs). These people will come and submit a letter to the Speaker.” he said.

He added that the group will soon formally approach the Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly to consolidate its position.

Dismissing merger speculation, he said, “Regarding a merger, as for our legislative party, we are certainly not joining the Congress. The MPs in Parliament, more than two-thirds of them, are not merging with the Congress either.”

Banerjee also emphasized that no section of the party, including MPs, municipal representatives, Zilla Parishad members or Panchayat members, was moving towards any merger.

“Who is uniting with whom? Unification is out of the question,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury stayed away from speculations about possible Congress-TMC merger, saying he was unaware of any such discussions.

“I have no knowledge of any merger or anything like that involving Bengal,” Chowdhury told ANI, adding that he remained “in the dark” on the issue and would comment only if an official decision is conveyed.

In a significant development, Deputy Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan accepted the resignation of MP Sushmita Dev with effect from June 10. Dev had earlier quit the TMC, marking another high-profile exit amid ongoing civil unrest.

Following her resignation, Sushmita Dev said she plans to focus on working in Assam, fueling speculations about a possible political switch to the BJP after meeting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi.

However, he rejected allegations of opportunism, claiming that his decision was based on personal and political reasons.