The Hindu : New Delhi News : Infighting "damages'' Delhi Congress image

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Friday, Apr 22, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Infighting "damages'' Delhi Congress image

Sujay Mehdudia

The situation is expected to get worse in the coming days Ms. Dikshit is sore that the executive committee meeting was used to batter her and the performance of her Government.

NEW DELHI: : The latest showdown between Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and the rival group in the ruling Congress Party and the turn of events during the past few months have "damaged'' the image of the party as well as the Congress Government in the Capital, according to political observers here. Coupled with this, the "harsh decisions'' effecting sharp increases in water charges, the general price rise due to introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime, and the controversy surrounding opening of liquor vends have further alienated large sections of society.

The situation is expected to get worse in the coming days as both the loyalists and the dissident group, who have re-emerged after a long time, have decided to seek intervention of the Congress high command to sort out the mess that the Sheila Dikshit Government has got into in its second tenure. Observers are of the view that with the split wide open within the Congress it is only going to help the cause of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Congressmen are already worried about the impact of the recent harsh decisions of the Delhi Government and the sudden eruption of infighting that could have an adverse impact on the prospects of the party in any future election.

Ms. Dikshit is sore that the executive committee meeting was used to batter her and the performance of her Government. The meeting, Ms. Dikshit says, should have been held behind closed doors. However, the DPCC president, Ram Babu Sharma, maintains that the executive committee meetings are always held on the lawns of the DPCC office and there is no such thing as a closed-doors meeting. "I am not complaining against the Chief Minister. But the fact is that people have spoken their hearts out at the party forum. I am not seeking anybody's removal, but would bring to the notice of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, the ground realities and how the situation could be retrieved,'' Mr. Sharma adds.

Grievances

The Union Minister for NRI Affairs, Jagdish Tytler, has said the Chief Minister should have had the heart to listen to the grievances of the Congressmen instead of walking out. The former DPCC president, Subhash Chopra, wondered where the party leaders and workers were to speak if not at the party forum about the problems faced by them and the indifferent attitude of the Administration.

"The very fact that she did not recognise veteran Congressmen who spoke at the meeting or were present there and termed them as outsiders clearly indicates that she is out of touch with the party and its cadres,'' Mr. Tytler said.

However, what has stood out most is the open alignment of the former Transport Minister and AICC secretary, Ajay Maken, with the rival camp. Mr. Maken, one-time strategist and blue eyed boy of the Chief Minister, is now not even on talking terms with her. Insiders in the Government said the Chief Minister was surely missing somebody like Mr.Maken as the present Council of Ministers does not have a person who could ``politically manage'' the situation and lobby at the AICC level for the Chief Minister. "Ms. Dikshit certainly stands isolated as reflected at Tuesday's meeting as no Minister, despite five of them being present there, and no MLA close to her walked out with her or followed her later. Ms. Dikshit still has time to re-assess the situation and set things right,'' a senior leader remarked.

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