My joining Trinamool Congress is unconditional: Sushmita Dev

A day after joining the Trimamool Congress (TMC), former Congress leader and prominent face from Assam Sushmita Dev refused to divulge the exact reason for leaving the Congress. While talking to The Daily Guardian, the former member of Parliament said that she has explained it “in my resignation letter to the party president Sonia Gandhi”.

“I had a long association with the Congress. The Congress gave me a lot of opportunities. In my 30 years in politics, I haven’t demanded anything from the Congress high command. I hope the Congress president forgives me for my shortcomings.” she added. While talking about the top leadership of Congress, she said, “I have no issues with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. I have a good equation with them, but I’m also answerable to my people.”

In an exclusive chat with this paper, she said that her joining TMC is “unconditional” and she will happily shoulder any responsibility which is given to her by TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. She also said that by joining TMC she has not changed her ideological stand. She has joined the TMC at the time when talk of Opposition unity is on, but she downplayed it by saying her joining the TMC will not be counter-productive to Opposition unity. She joined the TMC on Monday and held a press conference on Tuesday in New Delhi. She was accompanied by TMC MP Derek O’brien. When Derek O’brien was asked about such “poaching” from a like-minded Congress, he replied that his party does not believe in such tactics. “If there are talented people who share a similar vision and they reach out to us, we welcome them,” he replied.

He also confirmed that Mamata Banerjee will be a part of the virtual Opposition meet called by Sonia Gandhi on August 20.

According to sources, Dev was unhappy with the handling of the CAA issue in her region by the Congress. Her constituency Silchar is a Bengali dominated area which is in support of CAA, but Congress is against it.