Assam: Congress shocked, clueless and blindsided by Sushmita Dev exit

GUWAHATI: Did Sushmita Dev blindside the Congress? Seems so, going by the defeaning silence of the Congress leadership to the exodus of party leaders.
The helplessness of the Congress to keep its leaders and grassroots workers within the party fold has been evident before the 2016 Assembly polls when its members started hobnobbing with the BJP. But what came as a rude shock was the resignation of All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) president and former MP from Assam, Sushmita Dev.
It was only last Saturday, when a Congress delegation from the state, headed by AICC general secretary and Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh and Assam PCC president Bhupen Borah met Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the latter's 12, Tughlak Lane residence in New Delhi.
The two leaders were clueless that a national-level leader of the Congress like Sushmita — whose family was deeply rooted in the Grand Old party with father Santosh Mohan Dev being one of the close confidants of the Gandhi family — can “suddenly disappear” from the national capital to fly to Kolkata to join Trinamool Congress on Monday. She tendered her resignation on Sunday and hardly anyone, including Assam PCC leaders, were aware of the development. During Saturday's meeting at Rahul's residence, Congress insiders said Sushmita seemed to be an obedient Congress soldier who will continue to fight against the BJP's “divisive politics”.
“Sushmita fully participated with us during the meeting with Soniaji on Saturday. Yesterday, I was discussing strategies with her regarding municipal elections to be held in Assam next. In fact, she was guiding me with ideas to go ahead to show Congress strength in the civic body polls. I cannot believe that she quit all of a sudden,” Borah told TOI as Sushmita's joining the Trinamool was making headlines on TV at his Ghoramora residence here on Monday. When Borah was planning to meet senior leaders of the Assam Jatiya Parishad later in the afternoon to boost ties with a new regional party that forayed into state politics with the resolution to oust the BJP from power, Sushmita's resignation came as a jolt for him.
The Congress in Assam already received a double blow after the 2021 Assembly polls when sitting MLAs from Mariani and Thowra, Rupjyoti Kurmi and Sushanta Borgohain, joined the BJP. While the resignation of the two leaders came a major setback in upper Assam where tea tribes and Ahom community have been the backbone of Congress politics since Independence, Congress sources said Sushmita's departure will hurt the party's plans in the Hindu Bengali-inhabited areas, especially the Barak Valley.
“Sushmita's joining the Trinamool is a big gain for Mamata Banerjee as Trinamool Congress is trying to make inroads into Bengali-inhabited areas of Assam by banking on the Bangla sentiment. But immediately, Trinamool must have planned to utilise her in Tripura which is going for back-to-back elections in 2023 (Assembly polls) and 2024 (general election),” said the source. The source, however, added that dwindling confidence of a section of Congress leaders, after seeing the rise of the BJP, has also compelled them to try luck in other parties. Byelection is due in five Assembly seats in Assam and the resignation of the senior leaders of the party has brought more worries for the Congress.
Even as Sushmita's anti-BJP stand can turn even more firm after joining hands with Mamata, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) feels that while holding such a responsible post as president of AIMC, her resignation from the party is indeed very shocking. “Sushmita Dev as AIMC president was leading lakhs of Congress women all over India. The Congress never expected this from her as it had always respected her talent and had given her a lot of opportunities to grow as a leader," said Bobbeeta Sharma, chairperson of the media department of the Assam PCC.
“The Congress encouraged youth in politics and she was given the opportunity to become an MLA or an MP to serve the people at a very young age. Moreover, she is the daughter of a Congress stalwart — late Santosh Mohan Dev — whose rise in politics of Barak Valley and Assam was nurtured by our leaders like Indiraji and Rajivji. Being out of power should not be a reason to leave the party,” she added.
Nevertheless, the PCC, in an official statement, wished Sushmita success in her new party and hoped she will continue to serve the public with all sincerity and integrity that a leader is expected to serve with.
AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh recently expressed concern over leaders leaving the Congress, without citing any grievances. On the resignation of Sushanta Borgohain, he told TOI,”Leaders like Sushanta had no problem with the party. They are grateful to Congress but still leaving. Power corrupts.”
Assam CLP leader Debabrata Saikia termed such resignations “temporary setbacks” but rued that senior leaders should first present their grievances on the party platform, before resigning. “Sushmita was president of the AIMC. She could have easily met the AICC president to express her feelings or if she was unhappy with any policy or functioning of the party. Such sudden resignations without citing any cause is unfortunate," he said.