‘Why Didn’t She Speak up Then?’ Assam Cong Chief Slams Sushmita Dev for Calling Congress ‘Confused’

Assam Congress leader Sushmita Dev who recently switched to the Trinamool Congress recently said that her erstwhile party is “utterly confused” in the state. Reacting to her statement, Assam Congress Chief Bhupen Borah tells News18 that there is no confusion in the party and asks why she did not take up the issue with party high command. Edited excerpts:

Sushmita Dev has claimed that ‘Congress is confused’ in Assam. Is that really the case?

We are not confused. If things were so confusing, why did she not pick up the issue with the party high command? She was the only representative from Assam in the Congress Working Committee and she could have raised the issue. I want to wish her good luck. Congress has given a lot of opportunities to her. If there were any problem she could have discussed.

She believes that Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had role in the alliance during elections through All India United Democratic Front (AUDF). What is your take on that?

I was not there … she was then an integral part of the alliance. She must be knowing better. She should have raised the issue. A lot of our district leaders now are not happy with this alliance. Some alliance partner MLAs are behaving like the BJP. We will not tolerate all this. It is the AUDF members who are behaving like this. Come September and we will take a final call on this and will settle the alliance issue.

Sushmita Dev also said that opposition space is empty here as all parties praise Himanta Biswa in writing?

This is like the Mahabharata. I have told my workers that Himanta had been with Congress for long time and he has his friends here. This is a war so even if he is from the same family, we will fight. People who keep in touch with Himanta will be out. We will fight aggressively against the BJP. There were some persons who had relations with him but those people have already joined and/ no one is left. I have also told my workers that we will not tolerate those who are in dilemma.

Will Sushmita Dev’s decision to join the TMC effect Congress in Assam?

Everything will be decided by people. She has been an MP, MLA from that area for a long time and she claims she has won seats in the Barak Valley. All credit to her but my point is, if she is taking credit, she should also answer why Congress lost Silchar which is her own place. She should take the responsibility also.

The Congress and the TMC appear to be united to oust BJP in the Centre in 2024. What effect will it have in Assam where Congress and TMC will be pitted against each other?

See, if my high command says I will definitely sit with Sushmita Dev. Now the TMC does not exist here. Who knows what will happen in future? The Aam Aadmi Party was also not present in Delhi earlier. The TMC does not have any existence but we will see.

You met RTI activist and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi recently. Is there a different alliance growing there?

He is my friend. I went to Sivasagar we had a courtesy meeting there. He is also against the BJP and so we have discussed various things together. Let’s see what’s there in the future.

Sushmita Dev said there is no opposition in Assam. What do you have to say about that?

Again, I am asking, why did she not say this to the high command? If she understood the problem, why was she quiet about it during the election? I am sure that not a big number of our workers will go with her.