Congress MP and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of being “preoccupied with capturing power” amid a wave of resignations within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. Gogoi, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, argued that the country’s fundamental challenges would remain unresolved as long as the BJP continued to dominate the political landscape.

“The BJP is in power in Bengal today. They ought to serve the people and act upon the promises made in their manifesto. Instead, they are preoccupied with capturing power. As long as the BJP remains in power, the country’s core problems will not be resolved, even if they secure that power by subverting democracy,” Gogoi said, citing issues such as migration, MSMEs, and the falling rupee.

His remarks came against the backdrop of escalating turmoil within the TMC, which has seen three Rajya Sabha MPs resign in less than a week. On Thursday, Prakash Chik Baraik submitted his resignation, following the exits of Sushmita Dev on June 10 and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray on June 8. Baraik, acknowledging the verdict of the people of West Bengal, said he was stepping down in line with public sentiment.

Speculation has grown over the possibility of TMC MPs aligning with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with Baraik visiting the residence of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey soon after his resignation. Meanwhile, Congress has dismissed rumours of a merger with the TMC, even as TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at 10 Janpath in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The crisis within the TMC has deepened further, with rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee claiming the support of 64 MLAs out of the party’s 80 in the West Bengal Assembly. In another sign of fragmentation, TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar confirmed that 20 MPs had formally requested separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha, signalling a widening organisational split.