SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Sushmita Dev's return to her home town of Silchar after joining Trinamool Congress on Thursday evoked tumultuous ovation at the Kumbhirgram Airport by her hundreds of supporters. She looked all refreshed and smiling after deserting Congress. A few journalists waiting to hear her outside were told to attend a press-meet on Friday at her favourite paternal Cachar Club, a part of British legacy. And she did address a crowded conclave of mediapersons.
Sushmita Dev said her joining of TMC was an emotional attachment with Mamata Banerjee and her father Sontosh Mohan Dev had very cordial relationship with her. With the blessings of Mamata Banerjee and goodwill of Abhishek Banerjee, she would bolster up Trinamool from the grass root level in Barak Valley and Assam and gradually make it a strong alternative political force in northeast region.
The Congress turned TMC leader scoffed at what has been rumoured that she jumped into Mamata Didi's bandwagon for some plump post. She wanted a new innings in her political career after her not so good experiences in Congress, particularly after the poor performance in the last Assembly elections. She felt almost bottled up in the party. She was not happy with alliance with AIUDF as decided upon by the State and Central leadership. Her desire to resign went viral in social media then.
Sushmita Dev would not agree that she had "compromised with the ideals and principles of her father Sontosh Mohan Dev." There was no question of departing from the legacy of Dev family, not only her father, but also her grandfather Satindra Mohan Dev and mother Bithika Dev have been the beacon light of the oldest and once largest political party. She looked all optimistic when she said there would be decisive change in the political equation of the valley and northeast as a whole.
TMC leader also hinted about her party's plan to organize the party and strengthen it in Tripura and mass contact programme would be taken up. General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other leaders from West Bengal have already initiated it to challenge the ruling BJP. Sushmita admires "Mamata Banerjee as a great leader who upset the applecart of BJP in West Bengal and foresees her as the only one among the opposition stalwarts to lead the united front of all parties to stop the juggernaut of Narendra Modi."
Sushmita Dev said, "I have a long term plan to remain in active politics and TMC is the best platform." She is looking forward to the visit of Mamata Banerjee to this valley along with her top leaders to rejuvenate the party. For the time being she is happy that hundreds of Congress workers, some most trusted to her, have severed their ties with Congress and joined TMC. Sushmita is confident with her mother Bithika Dev by her side and the loyal workers, her new political career will be safe.
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