Section Of Cong, AIUDF In Cahoot With BJP: Sushmita Dev

In a development in the political landscape of Assam, TMC leader Sushmita Deve who recently made her exit from Congress alleged that a section of the opposition comprising mainly of leaders from the state Congress and AIUDF are in cahoot with the ruling BJP.

In turn, this has led to a vacuum in the opposition across the Northeast, therefore, making a space for TMC to fill.

Dev was one of the spokesperson of Congress and the chief of its women's wing has switched to TMC last week.

"It is indeed a big change and step in my thirty-year-old political career. Politics is also about being relevant and serving the people. Certain decisions that Congress took in the greater interest of the party had a negative impact in the area from where I come. I had felt that if we lose the 2021 election, we won't have the face to ask the electorate to vote for us again," Dev told PTI in an interview.

Questioning the "intent" of the Congress and opposition parties like the AIUDF of fighting against the BJP in Assam and the Northeast, Dev asked, "We allied in Assam to defeat the BJP. But what was demoralising was that after we lost the elections, several leaders of Congress, AIUDF, and some other opposition parties started praising the chief minister. A section of leaders of these opposition parties is hand in gloves with Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam CM). My question is if the mainstream opposition parties have joined hands with the BJP, then where is the opposition in Assam. Who will oppose the anti-people policies of the BJP?"

Noting that revival of the Congress in Assam and the Northeast is a tough task, the former MP from Silchar said, "There are some defeats from which you can recover and stand on your feet, and there are some defeats after which it is tough to make a turnaround."

"Changing my ideology was out of the question. I am anti-BJP and will continue to oppose their divisive politics. After the assembly elections in five states, Congress lost in Assam, Puducherry, Kerala….but Mamata didi managed to sail through and stop the BJP juggernaut. She is a national leader after her spectacular victory," she said, explaining the reason for her quitting the Congress.

She said the Congress, which ruled Assam for decades, is "confused".

"There is an opposition vacuum in Assam and the TMC will fill this gap. they are serious about it," she added.