Kolkata, June 14: Former West Bengal Minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia has resigned from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), further deepening the ongoing crisis within the party. Bhunia submitted his resignation letter to TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, requesting her to accept his resignation from the party’s primary membership.
Confirming the development, Bhunia said that he had formally communicated his decision to the party leadership. “I sent my resignation letter to Mamata Banerjee and requested her to kindly accept my resignation from the primary membership of the party,” he told reporters.
The resignation comes at a time when the ruling party is witnessing increasing signs of internal dissent. TMC Member of Parliament Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar recently confirmed that a group of 20 party MPs has sought separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, indicating growing divisions within the parliamentary wing of the party.
The MPs who have reportedly sought separate seating include Bapi Haldar, Dr Sharmila Sarkar, Prasun Bandyopadhyay, Jagadish Barma Basunia, Asit Kumar Mal, Arup Chakraborty, Rachna Banerjee, Saayoni Ghosh, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Yusuf Pathan, Mitali Bag, Mala Roy, Kalipada Soren, Deepak Adhikari, June Malia, Partha Bhowmick and others.
The developments follow the party’s performance in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, which has reportedly intensified differences between senior leaders and the central leadership headed by Mamata Banerjee.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from the Upper House on Thursday, becoming the third TMC parliamentarian to step down within a week. Earlier, Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray had also resigned from the Upper House, with Ray additionally quitting the party’s primary membership.
After tendering his resignation, Baraik stated that he had taken the decision after considering the sentiments and opinions of the people of West Bengal.
The series of resignations and growing demands from party legislators have fuelled speculation about widening cracks within the Trinamool Congress, posing fresh challenges for the party leadership in the coming months.