Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16

Exodus from the Congress continued with Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev on Monday quitting the party saying she was set to begin a new journey in her public life.

She later joined the TMC after she met party leader Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata.

In a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Sushmita said, “Please treat this as my resignation letter.”

She sought Sonia’s good wishes for the future.

With this development, Sushmita ended a three-decade-long career with the Congress.

During this time she represented Silchar in Assam in the Lok Sabha twice.

Her resignation comes days after Twitter had suspended her account among that of many other Congress leaders for retweeting allegedly unlawful tweets by Rahul Gandhi who had posted pictures of the family of a minor victim of the alleged rape and murder.

Sushmita’s father, late Santosh Mohan Dev, was a formidable leader of the Congress from the Barack Valley.

Sushmita, 48, might also get a Rajya Sabha seat from the TMC.

For the Congress, this is a huge setback as it continues to lose young leaders to other parties.

Only recently, former AICC in charge of Bengal Jitin Prasad had joined the BJP.

Earlier, Jyotiraditya Scindia had quit the Congress for the BJP.

Sushmita also changed her Twitter profile description to former INC member and former president, Mahila Congress.

Haven’t been able to talk to Sushmita: Congress

The Congress said Sonia Gandhi had not received the resignation letter of Sushmita Dev.

Congress general Secretary and media chief Randeep Surjewala said Sushmita was a valued leader with a long legacy in the party.

“Her so-called resignation letter to the Congress chief has not been received,” said Surjewala.

On Kapil Sibal’s jibe at the Congress that the party was moving ahead with eyes wide shut, Surjewala said he had not seen the tweet in question and couldn’t comment.

Surjewala said he had tried to call up Sushmita to talk to her but had not been able to since her phone was switched off.