Actor-turned-politician Koel Mallick resigned from the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, dealing another setback to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and party chief Mamata Banerjee. Her resignation comes amid a series of high-profile exits from the party following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. According to a report by The Statesman, the move is part of a larger wave of political changes within the party. However, an official confirmation regarding her resignation is still awaited.

Mallick's resignation came just 66 days after she took an oath as a Rajya Sabha member. For several days, political circles had been speculating that she could step down from the Upper House. The speculation finally ended with her decision to resign.

Her exit adds to the growing list of leaders who have left the party in recent weeks. Among the prominent names are Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev and Prakash Chik Baraik. Their departures have further weakened the TMC’s position in Parliament.

Koel Mallick had taken oath as a Rajya Sabha MP in New Delhi on April 6. After the ceremony, she shared a photograph with her family on social media and wrote, "I have got the opportunity to work for the people of Bengal."

With Mallick stepping down, the TMC’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has fallen from 13 members to just nine. Political observers believe more resignations could follow in the coming days, as speculation continues about dissatisfaction within the party ranks.

Earlier on Thursday, Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik also resigned from the Upper House. Explaining his decision, he said he was influenced by the mandate given by the people of West Bengal in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Baraik met Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan and submitted his resignation. Later, while speaking to reporters outside the residence of BJP leader Nishikant Dubey, he said, "People of West Bengal have given their mandate to the BJP. The TMC did not win. Looking at the mandate given by the people of West Bengal, I am resigning from the party."

In his resignation letter, Baraik wrote, "I do hereby resign from the membership of Rajya Sabha, which may please be accepted with immediate effect."

A tribal leader from West Bengal, Baraik, served on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. He was also a member of the Consultative Committee on Tribal Affairs.

Baraik became the third TMC Rajya Sabha MP to resign this week. On Monday, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray stepped down from the Upper House and later announced his departure from the Trinamool Congress. He cited differences with the party leadership as the reason behind his decision.

On Wednesday, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev also resigned from Parliament and quit the party. Soon after, she met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi. The meeting triggered speculation about her future political plans and possible next move.

The resignation of Baraik, along with the exits of Ray and Dev, has dealt a significant blow to the Mamata Banerjee-led party. The developments come at a time when the TMC is already struggling to recover from its electoral defeat in West Bengal.

The crisis first emerged in the West Bengal Assembly. Last week, more than two-thirds of the party’s MLAs, 58 out of 80 legislators, broke away from the official TMC legislature party. The group secured recognition as the principal opposition bloc in the Assembly under the leadership of expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee. The rebel faction has since claimed that its numbers have increased further.

The turmoil later spread to Parliament. A group of rebel MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar claimed support from more than 20 Lok Sabha members. The dissident camp received another boost on Wednesday when Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh and Kolkata Dakshin MP Mala Roy joined the rebel lawmakers.

The continuing resignations and rebellion across both the Assembly and Parliament have exposed serious cracks within the Trinamool Congress. As the party faces mounting internal challenges after its election defeat, uncertainty remains over whether more leaders will choose to leave in the coming days.