I'm a career politician, not part-timer: Sushmita Dev defends TMC exit amid BJP buzz

Sushmita Dev, who quit from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and as a Rajya Sabha MP, on Wednesday defended her decision to quit the Mamata Banerjee-led party, saying politics is her life's work and she had to make a practical decision based on ground realities in Assam. Her remarks fuelled speculation that she could join the BJP amid a growing internal revolt within the TMC.

In an interview with India Today TV, Dev, 53, acknowledged meeting Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after resigning from the TMC and her Rajya Sabha seat, but stopped short of confirming a move to the BJP. Instead, she stressed that her overriding concern was remaining politically relevant and being able to serve people in Assam.

"I have no shame in saying that I'm a career politician. I'm not a part-time politician. It's not like I haven't dedicated my entire last thirty years to it. I have to look at ground reality and I have to be practical. I thought this is the best decision I could take for myself," Dev said.

Her resignation comes amid deepening turmoil within the TMC, where 64 MLAs and 20 MPs have rebelled against the party leadership, triggering what is being seen as the gravest crisis faced by Mamata Banerjee's party since its formation in 1998.

Dev crossed over from the Congress and joined the TMC in 2021. She is the daughter of Assam Congress stalwart Santosh Mohan Dev. She had earlier been a Lok Sabha MP from Silchar in Assam, the stronghold of her father.

During the interview, Dev said she held a very candid conversation with Sarma and made it clear that she wanted to focus on Assam. While declining to disclose the outcome of the discussions, she confirmed that communication channels had been opened.

Asked whether she was heading to the BJP, Dev said there was no finality yet, but argued that remaining leaders in the TMC had become increasingly impractical.

"Even out of my love, loyalty and respect for Mamata di, if I continued in the TMC, I didn't see a way of how I could work in Assam. It's just not practical," she said.

Dev linked her decision to the political realities emerging from the recent elections in Assam and West Bengal, the two states won by the BJP with thumping margins. She noted that the BJP had secured an overwhelming mandate in Assam, while the TMC's presence remained limited.

"When you can't deliver to your people, you can't hold on to your base, you can't hold on to your support, and gradually you become irrelevant. I'm definitely not wanting to go down that road," she said.

Responding to criticism that her move reflected political opportunism, Dev drew a distinction between opportunism and taking opportunities to serve constituents.

"There's a very fine distinction between opportunity and opportunism. What is opportunism for me is my criticism. But I'm sorry, I will take an opportunity to serve the people and be in the politics of Assam, which is just not possible being in the TMC."

She also rejected suggestions that any pressure from the BJP had influenced her decision. "I have absolutely no criminal case against me. I have no allegations against me. So I don't know what kind of pressure you're talking about," she said.

Dev maintained that politicians have the right to reassess their political choices as circumstances evolve. "Everybody has the right to change their mind. It's my right. Why should I not be able to change my mind?" she added.

TMC'S INTERNAL REVOLT DEEPENS

Dev's resignation assumed significance as it came amid a deepening split within the TMC, with 20 rebel MPs already informing Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla of their decision to form a separate parliamentary bloc under the leadership of Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar while extending support to the NDA.

The crisis first erupted in the West Bengal Assembly when 58 of 80 TMC MLAs – a number the rebel camp now claims has risen to 64 – openly defied the party leadership by backing expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition instead of the official nominee, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. It came after the TMC's crushing loss in the West Bengal Assembly polls.

The simultaneous rebellions in the Assembly and Parliament have pushed Mamata Banerjee's party into its most serious crisis since its inception in 1998, raising questions over its legislative strength, organisational control and political future.

Against this backdrop, Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's recent meetings with the Congress leadership in Delhi have assumed added significance. The talks have fuelled speculation that the faction still loyal to the Banerjees could explore closer coordination with, or even a possible merger into, the Congress as the party grapples with an unprecedented internal revolt.

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