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It is a big blow for TMC as one of its veteran and prominent leaders called it quits in the Rajya Sabha. He stated the frustration around the lack of conversation taking place in his state, mostly politically motivated.

"I'm feeling suffocated that we're not able to do anything over violence in the state. My soul tells me that if you can't do anything sitting here, then you must resign. I will continue to work for people of West Bengal," Trivedi said in the Upper House.

His resignation from the Rajya Sabha has triggered rumors that he will join BJP in the upcoming state election of West Bengal. Although he didn’t clarify whether he is leaving the TMC or not. This has added more fuel to the rumors. The former Railway minister is a veteran of the party and holds an important position in West Bengal politics.

Dinesh Trivedi represented the Barrackpore constituency in the Lok Sabha between 2009 and 2019. He had lost the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 elections to BJP's Arjun Singh by a margin of 14,857 votes. He was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two separate terms -- 1990-1996 and 2002 to 2008 and was elected again in April 2020. 

Trivedi's resignation comes just ahead of the Assembly polls in the eastern state. Bengal will go to the polls in April-May later this year.

His party is stunned but the signs were visible, said sources close to him. A couple of days back, he had tweeted praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in parliament, at a time his party boss, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been going hammer and tongs against the BJP and its leadership.

Surely it’s not the first instance for Mamata Banerjee as multiple personnel has left the TMC in the wake of the upcoming elections. Recently, former West Bengal minister and the Trinamool Congress leader Rajib Banerjee along with four other disgruntled leaders joined the BJP in New Delhi.

MLAs Prabir Ghosal and Baishali Dalmiya, former Howrah Mayor Rathin Chakraborty, and actor Rudranil Ghosh joined the saffron party on January 30.

While on December 19, political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, along with 35 party leaders had joined the BJP during Amit Shah's rally in Medinipur.

As the outflow of Trinamool Congress ministers in poll-bound West Bengal continues, Mamata Banerjee's foothold in the state appears to be on shaky ground.