Sushmita Dev, president of All India Mahila Congress, resigned from the party on Monday, stunning everyone.
The situation is a bit precarious as this happened at the time when the Congress was warming up to the Trinamool Congress for Mission 2024.
Assamese politician Sushmita Dev’s last words to Sonia Gandhi in a letter were “I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service,” leaving the option open for a friendly cordial relationship to continue.
Sushmita, daughter of Assam Congress stalwart and influential Bengali leader Santosh Mohan Dev, did not join the Bharatiya Janata Party but chose the Trinamool Congress softens the situation but still, her departure comes as a huge shock to many within the Congress.
Just a few days back, Sushmita was seen clicking pictures with Rahul Gandhi at the Save the Constitution-Halla Bol rally near Parliament and things looked rosy and happy on the outside.
However, sources say that her dissatisfaction with Congress was growing for some time. In fact, interestingly, during this year’s Assam assembly polls, she had quit the party only to take her resignation back. The Congress alliance with Badruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF was not approved by her as she felt it would hurt her politically. Privately, she grieved that she was not even kept on board while taking the decision.
Once again, criticism falls on Congress for not defining their leadership, and there is still no appointed president as of yet. Sushmita’s resignation stirs up the old concerns of the younger Congress leaders as well as a large segment of Congress leaders questioning where their future lies.
Once again, questions arise about the lack of clear leadership and repeated failures in elections is leaving a bleak future for many Congress leaders. The exodus has not stopped. Jitin Prasada and Abhijeet Mukherjee are among recent defectors.
Kapil Sibal, a member of the ‘G-23’ group of dissenters, who earned the loyalists’ wrath for hosting a dinner for senior opposition leaders recently, tweeted on Sushmita’s exit, “Sushmita Dev Resigns from the primary membership of our Party. While young leaders leave we ‘oldies’ are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it. The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut”.
Who is Sushmita Dev?
Sushmita Dev (born 25 September 1972) is a politician and was a member of the Indian National Congress up to 2021. She was a member of the 16th Lok Sabha from the constituency of Silchar in Assam. She is the former president of the All India Mahila Congress. She has presently joined the All India Trinamool Congress led by the chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee.
She is the daughter of the veteran Bengali Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev and her mother is Bithika Dev, a legislator of Silchar of Assam assembly. Her father was a Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister of India.
She holds a B.A.(Hons) from Miranda House, Bar-at-Law, An LLB (Corporate and Commercial Laws) from the University of Delhi. She enrolled Inns of Courts School of Law, London and King’s College London, U.K.