Guwahati, June 10: Former Congress MP and Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev has resigned from the Rajya Sabha and quit the Trinamool Congress, triggering intense speculation about her next political move after videos surfaced showing her meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The development marks the latest turn in a political journey that has taken Dev from the Congress to the Trinamool Congress and now, potentially, towards a new destination.

In her resignation letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, Dev sought immediate acceptance of her resignation and thanked parliamentary officials for their cooperation during her tenure.

Hours later, she confirmed that she had also left the Trinamool Congress, saying she did not wish to remain “in two boats at the same time.”

Amid growing speculation over a possible BJP move, Dev has remained guarded about her future.

“I have the right, in a free country and democracy, to decide which party I will support, what kind of politics I will do, and whether I will do politics or not. It’s my decision. I don’t need anybody’s validation,” she said.

The daughter of former Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev, one of the Congress party’s most influential leaders from the Northeast, Sushmita Dev entered active politics through the Congress and won the Silchar Lok Sabha seat in 2014. She later served as president of the All India Mahila Congress before quitting the party in 2021 and joining the Trinamool Congress.

Her political rise has often featured in discussions around dynastic politics. Critics have pointed to her political lineage, while supporters argue that she built an independent identity through electoral politics and national-level leadership roles.

Now, with her resignation from both the Rajya Sabha and the Trinamool Congress, and with BJP speculation gathering pace after her meeting with Himanta Biswa Sarma, attention has shifted to one question:

Where does Sushmita Dev go next?