Knives are out in Congress over its annihilation in Delhi, which was believed to be one of the strongest bastions in North India. Its two top leaders -- former chief minister Sheila Dikshit and its face in the recently concluded elections Ajay Maken – came face-to-face on Thursday blaming each other for poor show.
Knives are out in Congress over its annihilation in Delhi, which was believed to be one of the strongest bastions in North India. Its two top leaders -- former chief minister Sheila Dikshit and its face in the recently concluded elections Ajay Maken – came face-to-face on Thursday blaming each other for poor show.
Two days after Maken put a portion of the blame at former chief minister's door saying that people questioned Congress as to why it did not fulfil the promises made when it was in power for 15 years, it was time for Sheila to return the jibe. She pitied Maken for putting up a poor show.
A hurt Maken at a party meeting announced his resignation from the party posts, and also threatened to leave the party. He was pacified by general secretary incharge P C Chakoo and outgoing Delhi party unit president AS Lovely, who defended his actions. The matter reached party president Sonia Gandhi, who summoned Delhi leaders strictly asking them not to blame each other in public.
Dikshit alleged that Maken style of politics did not help the Congress. "The signals that went from the Congress party did not inspire confidence. Although we didn't realise that we won't get even a single seat, it was clear from the beginning that we would lose badly. What can I say about Ajay Maken, except that I pity him," Dikshit said. She blamed him for failing to tell the Delhi voters about the work done by the Congress in the past 15 years.
For all four previous elections in Delhi, Dikhsit had been heading the campaign committee and micromanaging the arrangements. This time she choose to stay out. She had announced that she would not be playing an active role.
Maken was leading the campaign this time and the Congress could not get a single seat in Delhi.
Maken and Dikshit have been political rivals for many years now. Sources in Congress say that the two leaders don't see eye to eye.
Meanwhile, Delhi Pradesh president AS Lovely, who once upon a time was known to be close to Dikshit spoke out in favor of Maken. "Can Dikshit justify the defeat of Congress in the four constituencies where she had contested?" Lovely said.
The state leadership is of the view that in order to strengthen the Congress, Dikshit should be kept out. "Whatever Dikshit may be saying today, but she is equally to be blamed for the rout of the Congress in Delhi. She should stay out, instead of making loose comments,"said another senior leader.
1.Ajay Maken is the nephew of Lalit Maken, a stalwart of Delhi Congress. Maken has always held the view that Dikshit is an outsider in Delhi and had been aspiring to become the Chief Minister.
2.The first tiff between began during privatisation of power in Delhi, when Dikshit was the Chief Minister and Maken had the power minister's portfolio.
3.In 2012, after Maken had been elevated to the center, Maken blamed Dikshit for not checking rising power prices. He had then revealed that as per the plan, power prices were to be reduced after five years of privatisation, which never happened.
4.Maken claims to have a cleaner image that Dikshit
5.While Sheila Dikshit is known to be closer to Sonia Gandhi, Maken is understood close to Rahul Gandhi.
5. As urban development minister at Centre, Maken was again at logger heads with Dikshit on regularisation of unauthorised colonies.
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