NEW DELHI: In a reprieve of sorts to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and avoiding a possible crisis within the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), the party high command is understood to have asked the senior Congress MLA from Ghonda, Bhisham Sharma, to withdraw his "privilege motion and contempt of House" notice against the Chief Minister. However, the other notice by BJP legislator Vijay Jolly continues to stand.

Following the directions of the party leadership, Mr. Sharma on Tuesday petitioned the Assembly Speaker submitting that his notice against the Chief Minister stood withdrawn.

According to sources in the party, Ms. Dikshit is understood to have raised the matter with the party leadership and also sought strong disciplinary action against Mr. Sharma. She is also understood to have raised questions over the role of the Assembly Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh, and DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma in the whole incident. However, the party leadership is understood to have turned down the demand for any disciplinary action against Mr. Sharma stating that he had not crossed the indiscipline limit and was only reacting to the strong reservations expressed by Ms. Dikshit on the working of the Select Committee of the House. Mr. Sharma was elected working chairman of the committee that had subsequently rejected the Delhi Water (Amendment) Bill 2005.

"The step has been taken to save the Congress party and the Government from any embarrassment before the Budget session. Note has been taken of the letter written by the Chief Minister and also the continued attempts to avoid convening a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP)," a senior party leader remarked.

Sources said the party leadership had asked Mr. Bhisham Sharma not to press the privilege motion and contempt notice. It is learnt that Mr. Sharma had met the Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel on Tuesday and discussed the whole matter. Appreciating the gesture of Mr. Sharma, the leadership assured that they would look into the issues raised by him and other MLAs and address their grievances very soon.

Mr. Sharma also brought to the notice of the leadership that the letter written by the Chief Minister violated the spirit of legislative harmony and her action of questioning the credentials of the Select Committee was uncalled for. Following this, Mr. Sharma is understood to have given a notice to the Delhi Secretariat withdrawing his contempt notice to the Chief Minister.

It is also learnt that Mr. Prem Singh also met Mr. Patel and apprised him of the whole situation including the offensive launched by Ms. Dikshit against the Speaker and the Assembly Secretariat.

"I have withdrawn the privilege motion and contempt notice against the Chief Minister at the direction of the party command. Even if the leadership asks me to resign my membership of the House I am ready to do it. We are soldiers of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi and are ready for any sacrifice for her as we are here because of her strong and dynamic leadership," Mr. Sharma said.

However, the privilege and contempt notice given by Mr. Jolly stands and is under the consideration of the Assembly Speaker.

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