What We Know About Sushmita Dev: Former Congress MP Could Soon Join TMC

Who is Sushmita Dev: Former Silchar MP  Sushmita Dev recently changed her Twitter bio to now read "former leader of Congress", informing her followers this morning that she had quit the party with which she had been associated for three decades. Dev, who was also the president of All India Mahila Congress,  resigned from the Congress party on Monday, via a letter addressed to party chief Sonia Gandhi. Though she has cited no specific reason for her departure, Dev wrote that she was “beginning a new chapter of public service “. Dev is the daughter of late Santosh Mohan Dev, a seven-time parliamentarian who was also a Congress leader.

According to a report by NDTV, Dev is prepping to soon join the Trinamool Congress that is led West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Assam leader will be the face of the Trinamool in Assam if she joins, said Trinamool Congress sources.

Who is Sushmita Dev?

Sushmita Dev was in news a few years ago, over her stance on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which wasn't in sync with that of Congress party. She had backed CAA citing that people in the Barak Valley are in its favour, further triggering a row by refusing to wear the ‘no CAA’ gamosa at an event. The leader had favoured CAA, saying that it will ensure Indian citizenship for Bangladeshi Hindus.

Following in the footsteps of her father, Dev joined politics and was first elected to Parliament for the first time from Silchar in 2014. Her father is know to have served as a Cabinet Minister during his political career.

More recently, Sushmita Dev was in the news after her Twitter account was suspended over a tweet with images of the parents of a nine-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Delhi's Cantt area and then cremated against her mother's will by the accused. The images were originally posted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. More here.

She was also a member of the 16th Lok Sabha from the constituency of Silchar in Assam. In March this year, the Congress party dismissed reports of Dev resigning over the issue of seat-sharing in Assam.

Feature Image Credit: PTI