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PC Chacko's remarks on Sheila Dikshit triggers angry response from party leaders

Chacko said the party started losing ground in 2013 when Dikshit was chief minister of Delhi.

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Late Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
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A day after the Congress' rout in 2020 Delhi polls, with the party drawing a blank in the second consecutive election, party leaders started the blame game with AICC Delhi in-charge PC Chacko going as far as to put the blame on late Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Congress' vote share also plummeted to 4.26% from 9.7% in 2015.

Chacko said the party started losing ground in 2013. Dikshit was chief minister of Delhi at the time.

"The downfall of the Congress party started in 2013 when Sheila ji was the CM. The emergence of a new party AAP took away the entire Congress vote bank. We could never get it back. It still remains with AAP," he said without naming Dikshit.

Party leader Milind Deora slammed Chacko for remarks on Dixit and other leaders also weighed in. 

"Sheila Dikshit ji was a remarkable politician and administrator. During her tenure as chief minister, Delhi was transformed and Congress was stronger than ever. Unfortunate to see her being blamed after her death. She dedicated her life to Congress and the people of Delhi," Deora said. 

Dikshit's former aide Pawan Khera said, "Just a data point. In 2013, when we lost, Congress vote share in Delhi was 24.55 pc. Sheila ji was not involved in 2015, when the vote share slipped to 9.7 pc. In 2019, when she was back in charge, the vote share came up to 22.46 pc."

Party spokesperson Sanjay Jha called for calm response and accountability.

"Folks, please do not make a big deal about Congress leaders speaking out candidly after our dismal showing in Delhi. Many of us are angry or upset because we care. This is not about pulling someone down etc. Accountability must be the name of the game," Jha said. 

Congress leaders were not the only ones who slammed Chacko for his remarks.

In a series of tweets, psephologist Yashwant Deshmukh said, "Shame on you Mr. Chacko to drag Sheila ji's name. Just to put it on record, in our latest tracker as many as 29% voters in Delhi remembered her as best CM ever. She is actually polling more numbers even after her death than people like you can dream of in your lifetime."

"1. Shiela Dixit lost because of the massive unpopularity of UPA-2 Govt, not because of her own approval ratings. She was MOST popular Delhi leader. 2. She single handedly took Congress from being a big zero to 2nd against BJP just 6 months back pushing AAP to 3rd position," he said in response to Chacko. 

Chacko later clarified and said he did not name Sheila Dikshit and his remarks were being wrongly interpreted to run a campaign against him.

"I did not name Sheila ji, who did good governance and ensured all-round development of Delhi during the 15-year Congress rule," he told PTI.

Earlier, Congress leader Sharmishtha Mukherjee took on senior party leader P Chidambaram, who had welcomed the AAP win as "defeat of bluff and bluster".

She asked the former minister if the state Congress units should shut shop in case the party had decided that others will take on the BJP across states.

"With due respect sir, just want to know- has Congress outsourced the task of defeating BJP to state parties? If not, then why r we gloating over AAP victory rather than being concerned abt our drubbing? And if 'yes', then we (PCCs) might as well close shop!? asked Mukherjee.

Sharmishtha is the daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, who has been a Congress leader all his life.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor posted an Urdu couplet on Twitter saying, one is taking pride in someone else's victory, even in the party's defeat.

"The Delhi results are disappointing for Congress but there are consolations: the BJP's divisive politics has been repudiated with their rout; AAP's development message is what has prevailed over identity politics; and 8 months after sweeping the LS polls the winners have been rebuked," Tharoor said in another tweet.

Chidambaram, the former finance minister, had welcomed the AAP victory in Delhi polls, saying, "AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP. I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022." 

Chacko resigned from his post on Wednesday after the party's poll debacle in the assembly elections.

Chacko said he has resigned taking moral responsibility for the party's performance and has sent his resignation to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"I have resigned from my post and have sent my resignation letter to the Congress president. It is up to her to take a decision on my resignation letter," he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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