Sushmita Dev with party, says Assam Congress amid 'differences' over seat-sharing and ticket distribution

The Congress on Saturday said that its women’s wing chief Sushmita Dev was with the party, dismissing reports in a section of the press that she has resigned amid differences over seat-sharing. The reports of Dev’s resignation came amid differences with party leaders over seat-sharing with AIUDF. “It has been brought to the notice of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee that speculative news about resignation of President, All India Mahila Congress Sushmita Dev is doing the rounds on television and web portals. We want to make it clear that Ms Sushmita Dev has not resigned from the party,” party spokesperson Bobbeeta Sharma said in a statement. Earlier, Dev barged out of a Congress meeting on the selection of candidates at a city hotel, party sources said. Her supporters also demonstrated against Congress leaders who favoured allotting more seats to AIUDF in the Barak Valley. However, sources close to Dev said that though there were differences she was sure that those would be resolved soon. The Congress-led ‘Mahajoth’ or grand alliance has AIUDF, BPF, CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) and the Anchalik Gana Morcha as its constituents. The Congress is engaged in hectic parleys with its alliance partners and also within the party over the seat-sharing. The elections to the 126-member Assam assembly will be held in three phases, beginning on 27 March.