Former Congress MP Sushmita Dev submits resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi

Senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament(MP) Sushmita Dev has tendered her resignation to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

In a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi, Dev wrote," Please treat this letter as my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress.I cherish my three-decade-long association with the Indian National Congress. May I take this opportunity to thank the Party, all its leaders, members and workers who have been a part of my memorable journey."

"Madam, I thank you, personally, for your guidance and the opportunities you gave me, I value the enriching experience. I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service," Dev further added.

"Sushmita Dev resigns from primary membership of our Party.While young leaders leave we ‘oldies’ are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it. The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut," tweets Congress leader Kapil Sibal.

Dev also changed her Twitter bio to a former member of the Congress and former chief of the Mahila Congress.

She said she is resigning from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress.

Party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said he and other party leaders have tried to reach out to her but her phone was switched off.

"I am unable to speak to her as Sushmita ji's phone is switched off. We have tried to reach out to her.

"Sushmita ji is a very dear friend. She is extremely versatile, talented and capable. Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji have always appreciated it," he told reporters when asked about her resignation. Surjewala said Dev has a generational relationship with the Congress ideology and Congress family and we treat her as a member of that family.

"I am certain that she is mature enough to take whatever political decision that she takes with an appropriate consideration of her history, her legacy as also her own capacities. I only wish her the best for her future," he said. Soon after her resignation, another Congress leader Kapil Sibal has, however, said the party is moving on with its "eyes wide shut".

"Sushmita Dev resigns from primary membership of our Party. While young leaders leave we 'oldies' are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it," the former union minister said on Twitter. "The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut," Sibal also said.

Dev had met the Congress president along with other leaders of the Assam Congress only on Saturday.