Veteran TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray Resigns, Citing Corruption and Isolation

Veteran TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray has resigned from the party and his parliamentary seat, citing rampant corruption and internal isolation as reasons for his departure. This move follows recent unrest in the party's West Bengal legislature wing. Ray's resignation weakens the TMC's presence in the Rajya Sabha. His future political plans remain undecided.

Ray, one of the founding members of the TMC and among its 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.