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Sheila-Sonia meeting sparks rumours

Staff Reporter

Is Ms. Dikshit preparing son Sandeep for a bigger role in Delhi politics?

A HELPING HAND: A file picture of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit with son Sandeep

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday morning before her departure for Spain sparked off rumours in political and administration circles about Ms. Dikshit's future in Delhi and her possible induction into the Union Cabinet. At the end of the day, it turned out to be nothing but speculation.

Rumours were rife throughout the day about the possible outcome of the meeting that Ms. Dikshit had with Ms. Gandhi. Though the Chief Minister's Office termed it as a courtesy call before her trip abroad, it set tongues wagging. Political circles started speculating about the future of Ms. Dikshit and if she was opting out for Central politics in view of the imminent expansion of the Union Council of Ministers.

However, it is learnt that Ms. Dikshit is understood to have broached up the topic of the pro-active role adopted by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ram Babu Sharma, on various issues and his continued confrontationist stand against the Delhi Government.

She is understood to have complained that Mr. Sharma had made things very difficult for her and that had hurt the functioning of the administration and derailed the process of development. It is believed she urged the high command to intervene and put the DPCC and other senior leaders under check.

In another related development that raised many eyebrows, East Delhi Member of Parliament Sandeep Dikshit made a presentation to the Delhi Cabinet about the Yamuna development plan. This again had the rumour mills working overtime. Political observers are of the view that recent developments have led many to believe that Ms. Dikshit is preparing Mr. Dikshit for a bigger and longer innings. The Chief Minister went round the Chhat Puja ghats this time accompanied by her son. The Poorvanchal leader and Nasirpur MLA, Mahabal Mishra, who used to accompany Ms. Dikshit till recently, was taken along only to a few ghats. The slogans raised during these visits to the Chhat ghats projected Mr. Dikshit as the Poorvanchal leader who hailed from Uttar Pradesh and had joined politics in Delhi to protect the interests of this community.

"The presentation before the Delhi Cabinet by Mr. Dikshit on such an important matter that mostly comes under the purview of the Central Government is very intriguing. The enormity of the project and the massive requirement of funds is something that the Delhi Government can hardly provide and this matter has to be dealt with at the Central level and not at the Delhi Government or DDA level. It is a clear indication of the shape of things to come,'' a senior party leader remarked.

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Sheila-Sonia meeting sparks rumours

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