Former Union minister late Santosh Mohan Dev’s house, located at Tarapur area in Silchar town of Assam, has always been the political power centre of the Congress party in Barak Valley for the last five decades. But on Thursday, former member of parliament and the youngest daughter of Santosh Mohan Dev, Sushmita Dev came back to her house as a member of the Trinamool Congress party after quitting the Congress party.
Some Congress leaders like Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha have alleged that Sushmita has ruined her father’s legacy by leaving the Congress party. But she claimed that she did not compromise or disrespect her father’s legacy at all, rather she is following his ideology.
Before entering her house she said, “My father’s principles and ideology are his legacies, which is not limited to a particular party or a brand. My father, late Santosh Mohan Dev, shared a positive ideological relationship with Mamta Banerjee and we have always been like a family. If I wanted power only, I would have accepted BJP’s offer a few years back. This is not about Sushmita Dev or her career only, my decision is going to be a turning point of the entire Northeast’s political scenario in upcoming years. I met my mother after reaching home and she is happy with my decision.”
“After the Assembly election, the next three months were the most difficult time for me in the Congress party. I cannot express how much mental trauma I went through before taking the final decision to leave Congress. I don’t know how much success I will get as a politician in future, but for now, I am feeling relaxed and relieved. My mother has retired from active politics but she will remain my guide and strength at home,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}“After the Assembly election, the next three months were the most difficult time for me in the Congress party. I cannot express how much mental trauma I went through before taking the final decision to leave Congress. I don’t know how much success I will get as a politician in future, but for now, I am feeling relaxed and relieved. My mother has retired from active politics but she will remain my guide and strength at home,” she added.
{{/usCountry}}Sushmita Dev joined the All India Trinamool Congress party on August 16 after resigning from the post of president of All India Mahila Congress as well as the primary member of the Congress party. Her decision has impacted the entire Congress party in Barak Valley part of Assam. On August 17 anti-Sushmita group and her supporters in Congress party got engaged in an ugly verbal exchange at Indira Bhawan in Silchar. More than a hundred Congress party workers have so far resigned from the party and extended their support to Sushmita Dev. They have also expressed their desire to join Trinamool Congress to work along with Sushmita Dev.
On Thursday morning, around a thousand supporters of Sushmita Dev gathered at Silchar airport to receive her. They organised a rally maintaining the Covid protocols and accompanied her to the Dev family’s house in Silchar.
Answering a question about her position in the newly joined party, Sushmita Dev said, “It is just the third day after I joined the Trinamool Congress, how can I ask Mamata Banerjee to give me a post so early? I plan to strengthen the party from the grassroots and I can only ask for the post of booth president for now. But I have always been a national-level leader and I will remain relevant in national politics. Mamta Banerjee asked me to come to Silchar and meet my supporters. We are looking forward to strengthening the Trinamool Congress in Assam and Tripura initially. Mamata Banerjee herself will come to Silchar in upcoming weeks.”
She also said that she is not looking for few upcoming elections, the plan is to remain relevant in politics for at least the next three decades. “I have a long-term plan in politics and under the guidance of Mamta Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, we are going to build a strong alternative force in the entire North East and other parts of the country.”
After Sushmita Dev’s resignation, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has inducted granddaughter of former Congress MP from Karimganj Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya, Naiwrita Joy Shukla, into the party. She officially joined Congress party in Guwahati a day after Sushmita Dev’s resignation. Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah termed her as a replacement to Sushmita Dev but Naiwrita is yet to visit Barak Valley.