Former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro, brought from the Congress to Trinamul by the Prashant Kishor-Abhishek Banerjee combine in 2021 and sent to the Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday vacated his Upper House seat after a "nudge" from the party.
Sources said the party's top leadership, including Mamata Banerjee, blamed Faleiro for Trinamul's disastrous foray into Goa's Assembly polls last year.
“I am of the considered opinion that I should free myself of this responsibility to enable me to work as a foot soldier again in Goa’s cause in my sunset years in public service,” wrote Faleiro, 71, in his resignation letter.
It appears unlikely that Faleiro would be retained as a national vice-president of Trinamul after this. He issued a statement saying he would resign soon from the party.
With this resignation, Trinamul has 12 of the 16 Rajya Sabha seats from Bengal. The Congress has two and the CPM one.
His seat — vacated for him by Trinamul's Arpita Ghosh in 2021 — could be occupied by the party till April 2026. As soon as the Election Commission announces a bypoll, Mamata will send a candidate to the Rajya Sabha who is likely to become an Upper House member uncontested.