'Only 8 left AITC in Cachar, not 100', says Sushmita Dev as Congress welcomes defectors

Cachar, Jan 9: In a major political development in Cachar, fifty leaders and workers of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) have switched allegiance to the Congress party.

Among the defectors are prominent figures such as Sajal Banik, the AITC district general secretary, Anupam Paul, the youth district president, and Alok Acharjee, the Silchar Town Committee president.

While the exodus has drawn attention ahead of the Panchayat and Municipal Corporation elections, AITC leader Sushmita Dev have played down the development.

Speaking to the press, the Rajya Sabha MP said that most of those who switched sides were not official members of the party.

“I challenge anyone claiming that 100 people left Trinamool to join Congress. To my knowledge, only eight have departed, and apart from Banik and a few others, the rest weren’t even members of our party,” she said.

Dev attributed the departures to internal party pressures, stating, “We had set clear performance targets for members with a ‘perform or perish’ approach. Those who left might have struggled under this pressure. A political party requires members with conviction, not those seeking a readymade vote bank.”

Fifty leaders and cadres of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) have switched allegiance to the Congress party.

She further revealed that she had spoken to Banik before his departure, asserting that party loyalty should stem from shared ideals rather than emotional or political coercion.

“One stays in a party because they believe in its principles and are willing to work for them. Winning or losing elections cannot dictate party loyalty,” she said.

After jumping ship to the Congress, Banik said that they have returned to my own party”.

“I feel I can breathe easy amidst my old friends and party members,” said Sajal Banik, who was also a former municipal ward commissioner. However, he chose not to make any comment on Rajya Sabha MP Dev.

On the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections in Silchar, Dev, a former chairperson of the Silchar Municipal Board, welcomed the challenge but raised concerns over the infrastructure needed to manage the expanded jurisdiction.

“We welcome the corporation election in Silchar. However, the area for governance has expanded, and the current infrastructure is lacking. A stable corporation and holistic development are crucial for the city's growth,” she said.

When asked about the Panchayat elections, Dev hinted at the possibility of post-election horse-trading, a common concern in regional politics.

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership, including AICC General Secretary Pritviraj Prabhakar Sathe and Silchar District Congress President Abhijit Paul, extended a warm and enthusiastic welcome to their returning party members.

Expressing his delight, Sathe remarked that the return of the contingent from the TMC to their original party would bolster the Congress in its electoral battle against the BJP in the days ahead.