Hindustan Times (Bathinda)

‘No issues with Sonia, Rahul; joined TMC unconditio­nally’

- Umar Sofi letters@hindustant­imes.com

NEW DELHI: Former Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev on Tuesday said she has “no grievances with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi” and that she has joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) “without any preconditi­ons”.

Addressing a press briefing with senior party leader Derek O’brien at the party office on Tuesday, Dev said,“every journey in life has ups and downs...i have no grievances with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.”

Dev resigned from the Congress and joined TMC in presence of senior party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’brien in Kolkata on Monday.

“My associatio­n with the Concongres­s,

gress has been 30 years long and I have listed reasons for resignatio­n in my letter. Congress gave me many opportunit­ies as an MP and as president of Mahila Congress too… I believe whatever responsibi­lity was given to me, I worked on it fully. And if there have been some lacunae in my work, I hope its president will forgive me,” she said on Tuesday.

Dev also added that while in

Rahul Gandhi gave her ample opportunit­ies to contest elections, to be a national spokespers­on, and to be a part of the Mahila Congress. “Not even for a moment, I will be ungrateful for that,” she said.

Dev said that joining the TMC will not, in any way, be “counterpro­ductive” towards the goal that the Opposition was looking at in the future. “I have my full faith in Mamata didi. I have joined the TMC without any preconditi­ons because a new relation sustains on trust (not preconditi­ons),” she said.

Netta D’souza is new interim Mahila Cong chief The Congress on Tuesday appointed Netta D’souza as the new interim president of its women’s wing Mahila Congress.

 ??  ?? Sushmita Dev
Sushmita Dev

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