Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday amid efforts by the Opposition INDIA bloc to strengthen coordination and present a united front against the BJP. The meeting came as the TMC grappled with growing internal unrest, marked by the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev.
The meeting at 10 Janpath took place a day after TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee met former Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her residence and discussed ways to consolidate the Opposition alliance further.
Sources said the meeting between Rahul and Abhishek was part of the ongoing engagement between the Congress and the TMC following discussions at the INDIA bloc meeting held in Delhi earlier this week.
While details of the meeting were not immediately available, it comes at a time when Opposition leaders are seeking greater coordination among alliance partners. At the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, leaders emphasised the need for unity in taking on the BJP, with Mamata Banerjee urging constituents to set aside differences and work together on issues concerning the public.
TMC hit by another high-profile resignation
In a fresh setback for the Trinamool Congress, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev resigned from the party and the Upper House on Wednesday, becoming the second TMC MP to step down this week.
Sushmita Dev. (PTI)
Amid speculation that she may join the BJP, Dev said she has resigned due to "personal and political reasons".
Earlier this week, TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray had resigned from both the party and the Rajya Sabha.
She has also reportedly met Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
"When I resigned from the party this morning, it was obvious that I would also have to give up the Rajya Sabha seat that had been given to me by that party, because it was the party that had nominated me for it," Sushmita Dev told PTI Videos. "So, I resigned from both. After that, I met Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma because I want to pursue politics in Assam. We had discussions, but I cannot comment on them on television right now. When the time is right, I will certainly tell you about them."
While she declined to comment on TMC chief Mamata Banerjee or her future political plans, Dev said, "It's my individual decision, what kind of politics I want to do and who should be my leader. I have my reasons and that's why I have taken my decision".
On reports of her joining the BJP, she said, "When I take a decision I will let you know." She added that she had resigned due to personal and political reasons and that "everyone has the right to change their mind, and to decide what kind of politics they want to do."
Dev, a former Congress leader who joined the TMC a few years ago, met Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan and submitted her resignation.
In her resignation letter, Dev wrote, "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect."
"I convey my sincere gratitude to your excellency, hon'ble deputy chairman and all functionaries of the Rajya Sabha secretariat extending all help and cooperation during my tenure as a member of the Rajya Sabha," she said in the letter addressed to the Chairman.
The resignations come amid signs of unrest within the TMC following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. According to sources, several party MPs are considering forming a separate group and aligning with the ruling NDA.
A majority of Trinamool's 80 MLAs have already formed a separate group led by Ritabrata Banerjee, who has emerged as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.