Sanchita Kumar, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and wife of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Kumar, has resigned as West Bengal Information Commissioner well before the completion of her term, according to a state government insider aware of the development. The resignation, submitted on Tuesday night, has set off fresh speculation about the political currents reshaping West Bengal's bureaucratic landscape.

Background and Appointment

Sanchita Kumar, a former Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, was appointed West Bengal Information Commissioner in March 2025 by the then West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, acting on the recommendation of the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government. Her husband, Rajeev Kumar, served as the former acting Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal before transitioning into politics as a TMC Rajya Sabha member following his retirement from active police service.

Why She Stepped Down

According to a state government bureaucrat who spoke on condition of anonymity, the resignation was widely anticipated within administrative circles. 'In the changed political regime in West Bengal, it was a bit uncomfortable for her to continue in that chair. Probably that is why she had decided to quit,' the official said. Immediately after resigning, Sanchita Kumar reportedly flew to New Delhi, where her husband is currently attending the ongoing Parliament session.

The Shifting Political Landscape in Bengal

The resignation comes amid a notable wave of political realignments within the TMC's Rajya Sabha bloc. Three former TMC Rajya Sabha members — Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik — recently resigned from the Upper House and were subsequently re-elected to the same seats as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates. Actress-turned-politician and former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Koel Mallick also resigned and signalled her intention to join the BJP.

These developments had fuelled speculation about whether Rajeev Kumar might follow a similar path. However, his presence at the TMC's annual Martyrs' Day rally on 21 July — organised by the faction loyal to Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee — appeared to put those rumours to rest, at least for now.

What This Signals

Bureaucratic observers note that Rajeev Kumar's long-standing proximity to Mamata Banerjee — a relationship that reportedly drove his elevation to the Rajya Sabha — makes his wife's position in a statutory body increasingly untenable under the state's evolving political dynamics. Sanchita Kumar's exit from the Information Commissioner role underscores how shifts in political power can ripple through quasi-judicial appointments, raising broader questions about the insulation of such offices from partisan pressures.