Trinamool Congress leader Sukhendu Sekhar Ray on Monday resigned from the Rajya Sabha and also stepped down from the All India Trinamool Congress. The resignation of a senior TMC leader comes at a time when the party is facing rising internal turbulence following its loss to the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal. In his resignation letter, Ray referred to the results of the West Bengal Assembly elections, stating that voters had delivered a clear verdict in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party, ending what he described as the Trinamool Congress’s long rule in the state.
What Sukhendu Sekhar Ray Wrote In His Resignation Letter
He wrote, “in the recently held election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, the people have given huge mandate in favour of the Bhartiya Janata Party for the first time in the history of the state to put an end to 15-year anarchical rule of the Trinamool Congress.”
Ray further levelled strong criticism against the previous state government, alleging widespread governance failures. He said the administration was marked by “widespread unbridled corruption, atrocities committed against women, abysmal failure in the field of health, education, industry, law and order, employment, etc.”
At the same time, he contrasted it with the incoming government, noting that “the newly elected people’s government has started taking initiatives for overall development and reconstruction of West Bengal as per its Election Manifesto.”
Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigns from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP and from the primary membership of AITC.
He says in a press statement, “The people have given a huge mandate in favour of the BJP for the first time in the history of the state to put an end to the 15-year anarchical… pic.twitter.com/sXFcUUKJ4C
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2026
Who Is Sukhendu Sekhar Ray?
Ray first entered the Rajya Sabha in 2011 and was subsequently nominated by the Trinamool Congress on three consecutive occasions. Over the years, he established himself as one of the party’s senior parliamentary representatives and a prominent voice in the Upper House.
During the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, when Mamata Banerjee contested from Nandigram, Ray was also assigned to the constituency. However, it was later alleged that party leaders did not give adequate consideration to his inputs and views during the campaign process.
#WATCH | Delhi | After resigning from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP and from the primary membership of AITC, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray says on the RG Kar murder and rape incident, “Power had gone to their (TMC) heads to such an extent that they believed no one in the world could touch… https://t.co/0R7TZPpqFS pic.twitter.com/D2KT4DJlbr
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2026
TMC Falling Apart
The resignation comes amid a widening political crisis for the Trinamool Congress. A month after losing power in West Bengal and just days after 58 rebel MLAs reportedly took control of its legislature party, the organisation is facing one of its most serious internal challenges in recent years.
A major development occurred on June 3, when West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Nath Bose recognised 58 rebel Trinamool Congress legislators, led by MLA Raitabrata Banerjee, as the principal opposition group in the House.
Announcing his decision to step down from both the Rajya Sabha and party membership, Ray said his resignation was in direct acceptance of the electoral mandate.
He stated, “in respectful acceptance of this historic verdict of the people, I have resigned today from the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) as a member and also from the primary membership of the All India Trinamool Congress,”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
