The Hindu : New Delhi News : This victory is very special: Sheila

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 14, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

This victory is very special: Sheila

By Our Staff Reporter

The Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, is all smiles as she flashes the victory sign in New Delhi on Thursday. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI, MAY 13. Ruling out a role for herself in national politics in the near future, the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today declared that the resounding victory of the Congress and its allies and rejection of the National Democratic Alliance had permanently buried the foreign origin issue of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. "The voice of Delhi and its people will be more firm and louder in Parliament. It is an extraordinary victory and a very special one for me,'' Ms. Dikshit said.

Excited over the landslide victory in Delhi, the Chief Minister said the possibilities of a Congress-led Government at the Centre was very bright and this would be good for her Government in Delhi. "Things would now move faster and we will be able to convince a friendly Government about the need to give Statehood to Delhi and also bring many other Central organisations like the Delhi Development Authority under it. We had the bad experience of the NDA Government at the Centre virtually slowing down a lot of our initiatives or it kept important matters pending for various reasons. This would change now and this is good for us,'' she added.

Ms. Dikshit, who was the star campaigner for the party, said she had sensed a strong undercurrent against the BJP in Delhi during the past fortnight. "It was after the second round of voting when I went around addressing public meetings across the country that I got a feeling that the people were angry with the NDA regime. The mandate is completely against the NDA as the people have rejected the Indian Shining slogan and the feel good factor that was sought to be falsely generated by the BJP. The NDA did not deliver and the anti-incumbency factor was very strong."

Asked if the vote in Delhi was for the performance of the Delhi Government, the Chief Minister said it was a vote for good governance and people-oriented agenda. She was in favour of reforms with a human face and it should touch everybody. The verdict of the people has been decisive and all the pollsters and political pundits have been proved wrong as the people have themselves ousted the communal Government at the Centre.

Asked how she felt about the victory of her son, Sandeep Dikshit, and her close aide, Ajay Maken, the Chief Minister said both were equal to her and she had a soft corner for both of them. "It is nice to have young people in Parliament raising issues concerning Delhi and its people. We will not put pressure for induction of any Member of Parliament from Delhi in the Government at the Centre. It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister. However, for the Congress, the party president, Sonia Gandhi, was the prime ministerial candidate but everything will be done in consultation with the allies and Left parties.''

Asked if she intended to carry out a Cabinet reshuffle in the post-poll scenario, the Chief Minister said she had not applied her mind to the issue but would certainly think about how to fill up the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the Delhi Assembly. Ms. Dikshit said she would hold consultations with the Congress president on the issue after a Government was put in place at the Centre.

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