NEW DELHI: After resigning from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Trinamool Congress MP Prakash Chik Baraik said he stepped down after considering that the West Bengal "mandate was in favour of BJP".
Baraik, the third TMC parliamentarian to quit this week, also said he would do "as the chief minister of Bengal (Suvendu Adhikari) asks" and insisted that he was "not being pressurised by BJP".
His resignation comes at a time when the Mamata Banerjee-led party is facing one of its toughest phases after 15 years in power in Bengal, with a crushing electoral setback and growing dissent within its ranks in both the assembly and Parliament.
Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation, Baraik said, "I resigned after considering the mandate of the people of Bengal. Now, I will do as the CM (Suvendu Adhikari) asks me to... I am not being pressurised by BJP."
Explaining his decision, he said the electoral verdict in West Bengal had convinced him that it was no longer appropriate to continue in his position.
"It can be seen that TMC doesn't have the mandate, and in a democracy, if people want to make one party win, then we should respect that. This is why I have resigned," he said.
"The mandate in West Bengal... the verdict of the people in this democratic country was in favor of the
Bharatiya Janata Party, and the party formed the government there. In my own constituency, we did not win even a single seat. The results in North Bengal were also not good. Looking at this mandate, I felt that it was no longer appropriate for me to continue in my position. Therefore, I resigned both from my post and from the party,"Baraik said.
"As for what lies ahead, please wait and watch. Things will unfold in due course. Look, I am not very old. What I will do in politics in the future is something that time will decide. Please wait and let time reveal the answer," he added.
Baraik met Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan and submitted his resignation, earlier in the day. In his resignation letter, the West Bengal MP wrote: "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect."
He also thanked the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for their support and cooperation during his tenure.
A tribal leader from West Bengal, Baraik was serving on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Consultative Committee on Tribal Affairs.
Third TMC MP to quit this weekBaraik's resignation comes amid a series of high-profile exits from the Trinamool Congress. On Wednesday, former Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from both the party and the Upper House. Explaining her decision, she said she did not want to be "in two boats at the same time."
"I don't want to be in a situation where I am in two boats at the same time. That is not the right way to do it... because with the family background and upbringing I have, I have never stayed in one party and served another party," she said.
When asked about reports of joining the BJP, Dev said, "When I take a decision, I will let you know." Her subsequent meeting with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma further fuelled speculation about her next political move.
Earlier on Monday, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray also resigned from the Upper House and later quit the Trinamool Congress, citing differences with the party leadership.
Who are the rebels?The party is grappling with an internal rebellion that has weakened its parliamentary and organisational structure after its defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections.
Sources in the rebel camp claim they have secured the support of at least 19 Lok Sabha MPs, more than two-thirds of the party's strength in the House and are preparing to stake claim to the party's parliamentary wing.
The 19 members are- Kakoli, Satabdi, Saayoni, Mala, Bapi Haldar, Partha Bhowmick, Asit Kumar Mal, Yusuf Pathan, Khalilur Rahaman, Abu Taher Khan, Mitali Bag, Kalipada Soren, Sharmila Sarkar, Rachna Banerjee, Jagdish Chandra Barma Basunia, Arup Chakraborty, Deepak Adhikari (Dev), June Maliah and Prasun Banerjee.
The rebel bloc is expected to align with the BJP-led NDA at the Centre. Among the names being linked to the group are several prominent TMC MPs, including Saayoni Ghosh and Mala Roy, both considered close to Mamata Banerjee.
Rebel MP Satabdi Roy said, "I do not know whether Saayoni has signed (the letter from the rebel bloc to the Speaker), but the others did."
Sources also indicated that rebel MPs and MLAs may jointly stake claim to the Trinamool Congress, a strategy similar to the one adopted by breakaway factions of the Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra, both of which were later recognised by the Election Commission as the original parties and subsequently aligned with the BJP.
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