New Delhi

The Trinamool Congress suffered yet another setback on Thursday after Rajya Sabha member Prakash Chik Baraik resigned from both the Upper House and the party, citing the mandate delivered by the people of West Bengal in favour of the BJP.

Baraik became the third Trinamool MP to step down this week, following the exits of Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Sushmita Dev, deepening the political turmoil within the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit.

According to sources, the Rajya Sabha MP met Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and formally submitted his resignation from the Upper House.

Speaking to reporters outside the residence of BJP leader Nishikant Dubey later in the day, Baraik said his decision was guided by the verdict of the people of West Bengal.

"The people of West Bengal have given their mandate to the BJP. The Trinamool Congress did not receive that mandate. Respecting the will of the people, I have decided to resign from the party," he said.

In his resignation letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Baraik requested that his resignation from the membership of the House be accepted with immediate effect.

He also expressed gratitude to the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for their support and cooperation during his tenure as a member of Parliament.

A prominent tribal leader from West Bengal, Baraik had been serving on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, besides being a member of the Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

His departure comes against the backdrop of a widening rebellion within the Trinamool Congress.

Earlier this week, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigned from Parliament before announcing his exit from the party, attributing his decision to differences with the leadership.

Sushmita Dev also resigned from both the Rajya Sabha and the TMC on Wednesday. Her subsequent meeting with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi triggered speculation about a possible shift in political allegiance.

With Baraik's resignation, the Trinamool Congress has now lost three members of the Rajya Sabha within a span of days, further weakening the party's parliamentary strength.

The party has been grappling with an internal crisis since its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections, which has eroded both its organisational structure and legislative presence.

Last week, 58 of the TMC's 80 MLAs — more than the two-thirds threshold required under anti-defection provisions — broke away from the official legislature party. The dissident group, led by expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, secured recognition as the principal opposition bloc in the West Bengal Assembly and later claimed that its numbers had grown further.

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The unrest has also spread to Parliament, where rebel leaders led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar have claimed the backing of more than 20 Lok Sabha MPs. On Wednesday, Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh and Kolkata Dakshin MP Mala Roy were also reported to have joined the dissident camp.