Silchar: Trinamool Congress (TMC) unit in Cachar is poised for a mass exodus to BJP following the resignation of Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev from both the Upper House and the party on Wednesday.Following her resignation, Sushmita said, “I belong to Assam, and my heart lies in working for the interests of my own state.” She confirmed meeting Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and said her priority remained serving Assam.Speaking to journalists in New Delhi, Sushmita said having resigned from the primary membership of TMC, it was only morally appropriate for her to step down as a Rajya Sabha MP elected on the party’s ticket.Cachar district TMC president Rajesh Deb said party office-bearers, workers and supporters are likely to resign within the next few days and join BJP, aligning themselves with Sushmita’s political decision.According to Deb, Sushmita informed him of her decision over the phone a day before formally resigning from TMC. Her meeting with Sarma in New Delhi before submitting her resignation fuelled speculation about her possible entry into BJP.“I believe the decision taken by Sushmita Dev is in the best interest of her supporters and the state. She felt constrained in the present situation of the party,” Deb told reporters. He added that the entire district unit would follow her lead.Dismissing suggestions that Sushmita sought any political position in return, Deb said she neither joined TMC for a post nor placed any conditions before moving towards BJP.“If I have to support BJP now, I will do so with complete sincerity,” he said.Deb also expressed doubts about the future of TMC outside West Bengal, saying the party’s organisational condition had weakened considerably. “If the central structure of a party weakens, its branches elsewhere cannot survive for long,” he said.
