The Hindu : New Delhi News : `Sheila, Ram Babu given another chance to sort out the mess'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 13, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

`Sheila, Ram Babu given another chance to sort out the mess'

Sujay Mehdudia

Other options being considered if things do not improve at the ground level

`REPRIMANDED': Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma at a function in New Delhi in this past week. -- Photo: Sandeep Saxena

NEW DELHI: Although the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit and the DPCC president, Ram Babu Sharma have been let off with a "reprimand" by the party president, Sonia Gandhi, it is unlikely the truce will last long in view of the fragile nature of the relationship the party and the Government enjoy. The party is already weighing other options if things do not improve at the ground level in the near future.

Highly placed sources informed that the high command wanted to give both Ms. Dikshit and Mr. Sharma another chance to sort out the mess and work collectively lest it should take a tough decision. The fact that the New Delhi Member of Parliament, Ajay Maken, has been elevated as a Union Minister of State should serve as a warning. Mr. Maken, known for his competence and hard work, had become one of the most vocal critics of the Chief Minister and was the first elected representative to seek her resignation for failure in governance.

Observers feel that Mr. Maken's elevation despite strong opposition by Dikshit camp is an indication that the Chief Minister's clout with 10 Janpath is on the decline and her rivals are getting better of her. "Ms. Dikshit is surrounded by a team of sycophants who consist of a handful of MLAs and bureaucrats. Having run out of ideas and hated by a majority, they hardly allow Ms. Dikshit any room or space to mingle with others. She has to break out of this and win over dissident MLAs," a senior Minister remarked.

Observers feel that Ms. Dikshit and the DPCC president being summoned is an indication of the fact that the leadership is not "very happy" with her style of functioning and wants her to change it and address the concerns of the Congress legislators. Her sudden outburst against the Delhi Assembly Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh, on the issue of working of the Select Committees of the House also complicated the situation.It is also understood that some Ministers from the Sheila Cabinet had complained to senior AICC leaders against her. It is learnt that some of them had even informed the AICC general secretary in-charge Delhi, Ashok Gehlot, that the Chief Minister was behind the attacks on them by some loyalist MLAs inside and outside the Assembly.

"Ms. Dikshit has been complaining that the DPCC president has been troubling her but the fact is she hardly gets along with anybody in the party," a senior AICC leader said.

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