Trinamool Congress MP Prakash Chik Barik resigns from Rajya Sabha

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Prakash Chik Barik with TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. File Photo: X/@ChikPrakash

In another jolt to the Trinamool Congress, its third Rajya Sabha member, Prakash Chik Barik, resigned from the Upper House and also from the party organisation on Thursday (June 11, 2026).

Mr. Barik, who was also a Minister in the Cabinet of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, submitted his resignation letter to the Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday (June 11, 2026) morning. However, he did not specify any reason behind the decision.

The 46-year-old leader from Alipurduar was elected in the Upper House on August 19, 2023. His tenure was likely to be over on August 18, 2029. Mr. Barik had also contested the Lok Sabha election in 2024 from Alipurduar (ST) constituency but ultimately lost to BJP’s Manoj Tigga.

“People have given a clear mandate. People have favoured the BJP over TMC. Our party’s result was not even good in northern Bengal. I have resigned in view of the people’s mandate. I have not spoken to Mamata Banerjee as of now. But I have resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the party organisation. I will work as per CM Suvendu Adhikari’s instructions in the future. I will work for the development,” said Mr. Barik while sitting at the official residence of BJP MP from Jharkhand’s Godda, Nishikant Dubey, in Delhi’s Safdarjang after the resignation.

Earlier, two other MPs, Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, resigned on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) and Monday (June 8, 2026), respectively. They had also resigned from the party organisation.

With Mr. Baraik’s resignation, the party’s strength in the Rajya Sabha is set to fall to 10 MPs from the total 13.

The crisis also unfolded at a time when speculation continued that at least 20 MPs representing the party in the Lower House, led by Kakali Ghosh Dastidar and Shatabdi Roy, also submitted a letter to the Speaker Om Birla, claiming the recognition of a separate bloc that will support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led by the