Sushmita Dev, president of Indian National Congress’ (INC) women wing, the All India Mahila Congress quit the party, today. In the letter she sent to party supremo, Sonia Gandhi, Sushmita Dev did not offer any explanations for leaving the party, but claimed she is “beginning a new chapter of public service”.
Soon after, she also changed her Twitter bio to “former member of the party and former chief of Mahila Congress”.
Sushmita Dev is the daughter of seven-time parliamentarian Santosh Mohan Dev, and was seen as the party’s face in Assam’s largely Bengali-speaking Barak Valley.
Read also; Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Deb resigns from party
Interestingly, she had met with the Congress chief on 14 August 2021, along with other leaders of Assam Congress. Also, she was among those party leaders whose Twitter accounts were temporarily blocked last week for sharing Rahul Gandhi’s picture with the parents of the nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi.
According to reports, she is set to join the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), shortly. Presently, the former Congress leader is in West Bengal to meet with the West Bengal Chief Minister (CM) for finalising her inclusion in the party.
If reports are to be believed, Sushmita Dev will be positioned as TMC’s face in Assam, much like the Indian National Congress (INC). However, given Assam’s proximity with the Mamata Banerjee-ruled state and the former’s dominant show in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, this defection is likely to work to the former Congress leader’s benefit, who stands to gain much if TMC manages to repeat its West Bengal performance in the neighbouring state during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Read also: Sonia, Rahul meet new team of Assam Congress
Sushmita Dev has been an MP from Silchar in Assam previously, the stronghold of her father.
