Prakash Chik Baraik on Thursday became the third Trinamool Congress MP to quit the Rajya Sabha and declared that he would work according to the instructions of chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Baraik, a resident of Alipurduar, submitted his resignation letter to the Rajya Sabha chairman. He also formally severed ties with Trinamool.

“During the Assembly elections, the mandate was against us as people did not prefer us. So I have resigned from the Rajya Sabha as well as the party. I will work according to the instructions of Suvendu Adhikari, the chief minister of Bengal,” he said over the phone from Delhi.

Asked about his political plans, Baraik was brief in his reactions. “Let us see what happens. Time will tell everything,” said the ex-MP.

Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Sushmita Dev of Trinamool had earlier resigned from the Upper House.

Sources said that after resigning, Baraik visited the residence of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey in Delhi, fuelling speculation about his possible induction into the BJP.

After the Assembly election results were announced on May 4, Baraik, who was also Trinamool's Alipurduar district president, was hardly seen in the district.

Known to be a close associate of Trinamool’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Baraik rose rapidly within the party ranks — from being a panchayat member to becoming the district president of the party.

In 2021, he was appointed as president and entrusted with the task of strengthening the organisation in the district.

Considered a prominent tribal face of Trinamool, Baraik was also associated with Trinamool’s trade union in the tea garden sector.

Despite organisational efforts, the BJP won all five Assembly seats in Alipurduar district in 2021.

Although Trinamool performed well in the 2023 rural polls, Baraik suffered another setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the BJP’s Manoj Tigga defeated him in the Alipurduar constituency.

Political observers believe Baraik repeatedly failed to consolidate support among adivasis in favour of Trinamool, despite the Mamata Banerjee government declaring Alipurduar a separate district in 2014.

“Also, he could not unify various factions of Trinamool in the district. After the recent polls, many party workers had alleged that they had tried to contact Baraik for support and protection, but he remained inaccessible. This had led to resentment among the workers,” said a source.