Sukhendu Sekhar Ray distances himself from TMC rebel group
Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Sukhendu Sekhar Ray has resigned from his seat and the party following a period of internal political turmoil. While Ray expressed support for colleagues rebelling against Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee's leadership, he explicitly distanced himself from the rebel faction and is considering retirement from politics.
Why it matters
The resignation of a senior TMC figure signals deepening internal fractures within the party, potentially impacting the political stability of the West Bengal government and shifting power dynamics in the Rajya Sabha.
Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who resigned from the Upper House on Monday (June 8, 2026), praised his colleagues in the Lok Sabha and the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) for their rebellion against the leadership of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s national general secretary, but also distanced himself from the rebel group. In an interview to The Hindu , Mr. Ray clarified that when he visited Union Minister Bhupender Yadav’s residence, he had been unaware that his former party colleagues would also be present. He was currently reflecting on whether, after a 59-year-long political career, it was time for him to “hang up his boots”.
The report provides a factual account of the resignation and the subject's own clarifications without using loaded language or taking a side in the internal party conflict.
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