The Hindu : New Delhi News : Celebrations in Mathura Road, gloom elsewhere

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Friday, May 14, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Celebrations in Mathura Road, gloom elsewhere

By Our Staff Reporter

Congress supporters bursting crackers outside the residence of the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, after results of the party's landslide victory in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI, MAY 13. It was 9 a.m. and the first trend about Delhi poll results had just been beamed on television channels. It was about East Delhi and to everybody's joy, the party candidate, Sandeep Diskhit, was leading. Sharing the joy was the young candidate's mother and Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, who was at her AB-17 Mathura Road residence, seated in front of the television. Armed with a remote, she immediately jumped out of her chair on seeing the poll trends and picked up the telephone.

Some quick calls were made to various counting centres to seek information about the position of various candidates. Holding the cordless phone close to her ear, Ms. Dikshit paced up and down the house seeking the `good news' about Delhi. As soon as a television channel went for a "short break'', a prompt shift-over was made to follow as closely as possible the poll results in Delhi. "We are leading in five of the constituencies in Delhi. Ajay Maken is behind but he will catch up. It is going to be six-one in favour of the Congress,'' remarked Ms. Dikshit, even as her daughter-in-law Mona and partymen looked on.

In fact, Ms. Dikshit made it a point to seek information on counting of the rounds involving those areas where the Congress was said to be not so strong or facing internal trouble. "We are doing well in Ghonda, Babarpur, Rohtas Nagar and also Nand Nagri. Unfortunately, the only weak point has been South Delhi and we are going to assess the situation,'' she added. As it became clear around 11 a.m. that the Congress was surging ahead in many seats across the country, the Chief Minister's joy knew no bounds. Then suddenly the news came that her son was ahead with a lead of 10,000 votes. This was announced to all those who had by now started gathering at the residence of the Chief Minister. "I had this feeling that the Congress will win six seats in Delhi. But the all India results are somewhat surprising as we had been written off by the poll pundits. The outcome in Gujarat is very good and this should send a clear message to one and all,'' she remarked.

By 1 p.m. it was celebration time in the Chief Minister's house as it became clear that the Congress was heading for one of its best performances in the past 15 years in the Lok Sabha polls. Immediately tables came up on the lawns and arrangements were made for providing water to the visitors in small mineral water plastic glasses. Ladoos were laid out on the table on the front lawns and chairs were laid in the back lawns. Party workers and visitors congratulated Ms. Dikshit, shouting slogans and garlanding her time and again. There was a burst of crackers as Ms. Dikshit tried to make her way through the crowd and proceed to the TV studios.

In sharp contrast, a pall of gloom hung over the Pandit Pant Marg BJP office. Sensing the mood, the party chief, Harsh Varhdan, left office early and issued a statement accepting the verdict. Some of the local leaders were happy that the party had been routed in Delhi as it had exploded the myth of some leaders claiming to be national and grass root leaders. Daggers were out for Dr. Harsh Vardhan's head and party workers talked in whispers about the need to give a new direction to the party in Delhi. There was talk of lack of coordination within the party and the failure to provide the necessary leadership to tide over the demanding situation. While Dr. Vardhan had time and again claimed that the BJP was winning all the seven seats. However, it was not clear whether he would accept full responsibility for the humiliating defeat of the party in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.

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