A third Rajya Sabha member of the crisis-hit Trinamool Congress (TMC) has quit, dealing a fresh blow to the party.
The TMC has been reeling since it lost power in West Bengal last month after a 15-year rule.
Prakash Chik Baraik submitted his resignation to Rajya Sabha chairman CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday, citing a family member's illness.
This is the third resignation from the TMC's 13 Rajya Sabha members, following Sukhendu Sekhar Ray's quit on Monday.
The party's attempts to salvage the situation are being led by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday to explore possibilities of deepening ties.
The TMC has not ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the Congress in West Bengal, something it has avoided since 2012.
