TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray resigns, citing corruption and internal turmoil

Veteran TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray has resigned from the party and the Upper House, citing corruption and internal unrest. His exit follows recent legislative rebellion within the party, raising concerns over widening organisational instability in the Trinamool Congress

Kolkata/New Delhi: Veteran TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray on Monday resigned from the party and stepped down as a member of the Upper House, dealing a fresh blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit amid growing signs that the turbulence in its legislative wing may now be spilling over to its parliamentary ranks.

Ray, among TMC’s most recognisable faces in Parliament, announced his decision in the national capital hours before a meeting of the INDIA bloc, to be attended by former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

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His resignation comes barely days after an unprecedented rebellion in the party’s legislature wing in West Bengal, where 58 TMC MLAs broke ranks with the leadership and backed Ritabrata Banerjee for the post of Leader of the Opposition, rejecting the party’s official nominee Shovandeb Chattopadhyay.

The revolt, which culminated in Ritabrata’s recognition as LoP by the Assembly Speaker, exposed deep fissures within the organisation following the party’s defeat in the assembly polls, and fuelled concerns that the unrest could spread beyond the House.

In a statement, Ray cited what he described as rampant corruption in governance and the party organisation, and said public anger against the erstwhile TMC dispensation had reached alarming levels.

The veteran parliamentarian, who had increasingly distanced himself from the party leadership over the past year, also launched a sharp attack on the TMC’s handling of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case, an issue on which he had repeatedly voiced dissent.

“I had publicly spoken out on the RG Kar hospital issue. Since then, I was increasingly isolated within the party. My only fault was that I demanded an internal inquiry against certain police officers because I believed they had a major role in destruction of evidence,” Ray told reporters in Delhi.

Ray alleged that efforts were being made at the time to shield those responsible, and said he had mentally decided to leave the party soon after the controversy.

“That was the turning point. I realised I would not remain in the party for long,” he said. Ray also claimed that corruption had become pervasive in several sectors, and that public resentment against the party reached a point where electoral setbacks had become inevitable.

He called for scrutiny of the assets and finances of TMC leaders occupying key positions in the party at the national level, and alleged that many honest voices within the organisation had been marginalised. “Not everyone in the party is dishonest. But, many sincere people have been sidelined,” he said.

The resignation is significant not merely because of Ray’s seniority, but also because it marks the first high-profile departure from the TMC’s parliamentary wing since the internal turmoil began.

Political observers said the development assumes added significance as it unfolded in Delhi, while the party’s top leadership was engaged in consultations with opposition allies at the INDIA bloc meeting.

The timing of the move has also triggered fresh speculation within political circles about the possibility of unrest among a section of TMC MPs. While no parliamentarian has publicly expressed dissent, party sources acknowledged that discussions over the future course of several leaders unhappy with the functioning of the organisation have intensified in recent weeks.

The TMC’s tally in the Rajya Sabha came down to 12 with Ray’s resignation. Ray, a constitutional expert, has for years been one of the TMC’s principal strategists in Parliament and among its most effective voices on legislative and constitutional issues.

Asked about his future plans, Ray said he had not taken any decision about joining another political party, and indicated that he might even retire from active politics. “I may withdraw from politics altogether,” he said.

The TMC leadership did not immediately react to Ray’s resignation. With the rebellion in the legislature wing still unresolved, Ray’s departure is likely to deepen questions over the TMC’s internal cohesion, and raise fresh concerns within the leadership about whether the unrest that rattled its assembly ranks could eventually spread to Delhi as well.