West Bengal: We don’t believe in poaching or breaking, says TMC

KOLKATA: The day after Congress’ former MP Sushmita Dev resigned and joined Trinamool Congress, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP, Derek O’Brien, said Trinamool isn’t an NGO and it “does not believe in poaching and breaking” but “if there are talented people or share a similar vision and they reach out to us, we welcome them”.
Stressing the point, TMC also highlighted that chief minister Mamata Banerjee would attend the August 20 virtual meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Addressing reporters in Delhi alongside Dev, Derek said: “Today is August 17 and on August 20, Sonia ji has called for a meeting and let me reconfirm West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will join the meeting along with leaders from other political parties.” To another query, he said “in Parliament, you have seen opposition working together and everyone among them has a different relationship. Our goal is the same”.
Dev said: “I don’t think I have compromised my ideology in joining TMC. My joining TMC is unconditional, and I will take any responsibility given to me by Mamata Banerjee.”
The former Silchar MP chose not to dwell on her reasons for quitting Congress, saying “ Mujhe desh ke hit ke liye kaam karna hai. Sirf Mamata Didi ka yeh soch nahi hai, ye aur kai party ka soch hai ki bhavishya mein desh ke hit mein kaam karna hai (I am here to work for the betterment of our country. Mamata Didi is not the only one who envisions this. There are other parties as well that want to work for the betterment of the country in the future)”.
Dev further said: “My relation with Congress was for 30 years, but I cannot deny the relationship with chief minister Banerjee. Owing to the fact that my father was a former Union minister, we (my family and I) know her for 40 years.”
She added: “I have written to Sonia Gandhi ji and sought her blessings. Congress has given me ample opportunities and there is not a single moment that I regret. I have no grievances against Sonia ji and Rahul ji. In my 30 years in politics, I haven’t demanded anything from the Congress high command.”
She also said it would be wrong to compare Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and “dig up dirt” on the former. “We don't know what the future holds. You will see what magic unfolds when both (Rahul and Abhishek) come together,” Dev added.
Both Dev and her new party chose not to spell out her role in Trinamool. “She has not even joined 24 hours,” Derek said and added the party would speak on the issue in September.
Dev too said: “Plan for Assam, Tripura or the rest of the states will be revealed in September.” She refused to be drawn into any comment on whether Tripura will witness a contest between her and CM Biplab Deb “I am an organisation person,” she said. “I have started my political career by managing the organisation. I’ll do the work that CM Banerjee and AITC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee assign.”