Photo: Arindam Gupta
Silchar, Aug 20: People across many parts of Assam and also in places elsewhere in the country no longer view Mamata Banerjee as only the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She is a national leader and intrinsically understands the politics of Assam as well, said Sushmita Dev, the newest entrant in the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
A day after her homecoming as an AITC member (AITC), Sushmita, while talking to the press persons at her Tarapur residence here said, "Since I joined the AITC, there has been a rush of calls and messages from people not only in Assam but from various parts of North East and also from other states asking about how to approach the AITC chairperson. After this year's Assembly election in West Bengal, the entire nation is looking towards Mamata didi and I believe, people no longer perceive her as only being the Chief Minister of a state."
Asked about her conversation with the AITC chairperson regarding the political base of the party in Assam, Dev said, "Mamata didi might be a politician from Bengal. But now she is an astute national leader and as such understands the pulse of politics in Assam. She has never uttered a word against the Assamese sentiments neither did I. But I feel there is a need for a strong opposition in Assam and I shall strive to strengthen the party's foundation at the grassroots. I have been getting calls and messages from across Assam. "
However, the scion of former union minister Santosh Mohan Dev informed the press of her stance regarding not giving up representing the voices of the people of Barak Valley to which even the AITC high command has agreed and asked her to meet people and discuss the core issues.
Asked about whether it was tough to quit the AICC membership, Dev was visibly in tears as she admitted, "it was tough. I could not sleep for a couple of nights before I stood firm on my decision. I have no grievances against the Gandhi family. Before and during the Assembly election in the state, there can be no one who would say I have not worked for the party and delivered my best efforts. The results reflect the situation where the party has lost elections not just in Assam but many states as well. Somewhere I was not in agreement with certain decisions." She added that while the Congress party has lost the digital war, which is the USP of the BJP, the AITC has tapped on the need to challenge the BJP on the digital front.
Reacting on the recent comment passed by APCC working president and North Karimganj MLA Kamalakshya Dey Purkayastha that Sushmita Dev is not a fighter which is why she left the party, Sushmita said " I am a fighter which is why I am into AITC.He (Kamalashya) should keep working for the party while I shall take care of his political future."
