‘I am a free woman’: Sushmita Dev meets Himanta after quitting TMC, keeps future plans under wraps

Former Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on Wednesday met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in New Delhi, hours after resigning from the Trinamool Congress and giving up her seat in the Upper House, setting off fresh speculation over her next political move.

The development comes at a time when the Trinamool Congress is facing signs of internal strain, with reports of differences within the party and a section of MPs seeking separate seating arrangements in Parliament. Against this backdrop, Dev’s departure has added to the political attention surrounding the party’s national footprint and leadership.

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While the meeting drew political attention, Dev insisted it was merely a courtesy call and said she was taking a short break before deciding her future course. Dev, who returned to national headlines after severing ties with the Trinamool Congress, said she would announce her plans at an appropriate time.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Sarma, Dev said she was not involved in Bengal politics and described herself as a “free woman” following her exit from the party.

“I am not directly involved in Bengal politics. I am from Assam, and I am a free woman. I have been in Congress for a long time, so I gave a courtesy visit. I have a 2-3 day party plan, so let me be on a few days’ sabbatical,” she said.

Sushmita Dev keeps future plans open

Asked about her next step in politics, Dev said she hoped to continue serving people and representing them in public life but declined to reveal any immediate plans.

“I hope I will get a chance to do politics and be a representative of the people in the future. I will definitely tell you the next steps. But for now, I will not comment on Mamata Banerjee. What is certain is that I have left the Trinamool Congress,” she said.

According to reports, including one by Aaj Tak, a group of 20 Trinamool Congress MPs has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking separate seating arrangements in Parliament. The report also claimed that MP Saayoni Ghosh had joined the list of MPs backing the move, a development being viewed as a setback for former West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Dev also said the reasons behind her decision to leave the party were complex and not everything in politics needed to be made public.

“What prompted me to take this decision is a very long story. In politics, I don’t think everything needs to be revealed. I did not want to be in a situation where I was in two boats. That is not the right way to do politics,” she said.

‘I have never stayed in one party and served another’

Emphasising her political principles, Dev said she believed in maintaining clarity and loyalty in public life.

“I have never stayed in one party and served another. That is not how I was brought up,” she said.

The former parliamentarian also defended her decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha, saying the seat belonged to the party that had nominated her.

“This morning, I resigned as a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. The Rajya Sabha seat was also given to me by the party, so if I have left the party, I should also leave the Rajya Sabha seat. This is because of my personality and politics,” she said.

Dev said she would elaborate on her future plans later and added that she was heading to Assam to spend time with her family.

“Tomorrow I am going to Assam to meet my sisters and mother,” she said.