Buzz over TMC Rajya Sabha MP Susmita Dev’s return to the Congress in Silchar

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Buzz over the political future of Susmita Dev, whose term as TMC Rajya Sabha MP will end in August, got a new twist as State Congress vice-president Arun Dutta Roy in an open forum requested her to come back to her previous party.

“People of Barak Valley need your leadership. So please reconsider your decision,” said Dutta Majumdar on Saturday in the function organized for unveiling of a bust of Susmita’s father, Sontosh Mohan Dev, former Union Minister and Congress heavyweight.

Susmita, though present in the meeting, preferred to remain silent. Meanwhile, the working president of State Congress, Kamalakha Dey Purkayastha, while speaking to this correspondent, also endorsed the proposal of Dutta Majumdar. Purkaystha, the three time MLA from Karimganj said, “Susmita Dev left the Congress and joined such a party which has the same political ideology and hence if she comes back to her original party we will have no objection, rather we would welcome her. Susmita Dev is a potential leader, no doubt about this.”

Dutta Majumdar, on the other hand, told this correspondent that the APCC had already discussed the issue of Susmita’s return to the party. “Even our central leadership is keen to see her back in the party,” he hinted. Dutta Majumdar said that out of sentiment Susmita took the decision of quitting the Congress, the party she had in her DNA as her grandfather, father, mother and she herself had represented Silchar for generations as a Congress member. “Though she had quit the Congress and joined TMC, Susmita never criticized our leaders,”Dutta Majumdar argued.

Susmita on the other admitted that her sentiment was hurt during the last Assembly election. “A coterie in the APCC just kept me in the dark while forging alliance with the AIUDF. I could sense that the alliance would be a disaster for the party, particularly in Barak Valley. Yes out of frustration I took the decision of quitting the Congress,” she told this correspondent. When asked if she would return to her old party, Susmita gave a diplomatic answer and said that things were rapidly changing in the national politics and prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, new equations in the opposition front would come up.

Sources said that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee would not repeat Susmita as Rajya Sabha MP just after her term ends in August. A few Rajya Sabha seats from West Bengal would become vacant next year and Banerjee might consider Susmita as one of their representatives in the Upper House. Banerjee was keen to field candidates in Assam and she planned to keep Susmita engaged in her own State.

APCC president Bhupen Bora during his recent visit to Silchar too said that the party would welcome Susmita if she wished to make a comeback. “But as she had quit the party, the rule is that she has to apply for joining the Congress.” Arun Dutta Majumdar too highlighted this condition with a significant note that applying for party membership for a leader like Susmita Dev was a mere formality.