NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) suffered another political setback on Thursday after Rajya Sabha member Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from the Upper House, marking the third resignation by a TMC Rajya Sabha MP within a week. The development has intensified concerns over internal unrest within the party and raised questions about its strength in Parliament.
According to reports, Baraik submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan. With his departure, the number of TMC representatives in the Rajya Sabha is expected to decline further, adding to the challenges facing the Mamata Banerjee-led party.
Baraik’s resignation comes close on the heels of the exits of senior leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and former Congress leader-turned-TMC MP Sushmita Dev. The consecutive departures have triggered speculation about growing dissatisfaction within sections of the party’s parliamentary ranks.
Speaking after stepping down, Baraik rejected suggestions that he had been pressured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He maintained that his decision was taken after considering the political mood and mandate in West Bengal. Reports quoted him as saying that he would act according to the direction of the state’s political leadership going forward.
Political observers view the resignation as part of a broader period of turbulence within the TMC. Recent developments have seen several leaders distancing themselves from the party, while reports suggest that more resignations could follow in the coming days. Sources cited by multiple media outlets indicated that additional TMC MPs may be considering their future within the organisation, potentially deepening the crisis.
The latest resignation is particularly significant because Baraik was regarded as one of the younger faces of the party in Parliament. He entered the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal in 2023 and was seen as a representative of the party’s outreach to tribal and tea-garden communities.
The wave of resignations has also sparked debate over the future political alignment of several former TMC leaders. While no formal announcements have been made regarding Baraik’s next move, recent exits from the party have fuelled speculation about possible shifts toward rival political formations, including the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
For the TMC, the challenge now extends beyond numerical strength in Parliament. The resignations have brought internal party dynamics into focus at a time when the organisation is preparing for future political battles both in West Bengal and at the national level. Party leaders are expected to assess the situation and work to prevent further erosion of support within their parliamentary ranks.
As political developments continue to unfold, all eyes will remain on whether more lawmakers choose to leave the party and how the TMC leadership responds to one of its most turbulent weeks in recent years.
