India, June 9 -- Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, a senior leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the party on June 8, 2026. His departure is a major setback for Mamata Banerjee's party and the INDIA bloc. Ray announced his decision at an important opposition meeting in New Delhi, drawing attention to the widening divisions within the anti-BJP alliance after the TMC's heavy loss in the West Bengal Assembly elections, in which the BJP won 207 of 294 seats.

Ray's resignation reduces TMC's Rajya Sabha seats from 13 to 12, creating a vacancy that will lead to a by-election. Although the change in numbers is small, the symbolic impact is important. The INDIA bloc depends on regional partners like the TMC to lead de...