The Hindu : New Delhi News : CM makes a dent in dissident camp

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

New Delhi

New Delhi

CM makes a dent in dissident camp

Sujay Mehdudia

Winter session of Assembly passed off without any major embarrassment

NEW DELHI: The Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit might not have succeeded in stopping the sealing drive but she has managed to divide the dissident camp by pinching some MLAs and in the process ensured that the winter session of the Delhi Assembly passed off without any major embarrassment to her and her Government. It is another matter, political observers feel, that the Government's reputation and that of Ms. Dikshit has been dented badly due to these developments.

The group led by the DPCC president, Ram Babu Sharma received a jolt in shape of three-time MLA, Mukesh Sharma who again switched sides dumping Mr. Ram Babu, who incidentally also happens to be his relative, in favour of the Chief Minister putting a question mark on his already fragile credibility. Ms. Dikshit played her cards very well and after the fireworks in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting ensured that the dissidents remained a divided house and did not trouble her during the session. Another known dissident face, Tarvinder Singh Marwah also switched loyalties and advocated the cause of the Chief Minister. Interestingly, the loyalists are feeling uncomfortable with these developments feeling that influx of "such dissident MLAs" whose loyalty has always remained questionable might marginalise their presence and increase the stakeholders in any future power sharing formula.

"Although there is little doubt that Mr. Ram Babu Sharma has not been able to manage his flock well, but the matter of fact is that majority of those who have now joined hands with the Chief Minister are reportedly being promised Ministerial berths. These legislators have been given an impression that a Cabinet reshuffle was in the offing and they stood a good chance of replacing the old Ministers. It remains to be seen how long they can hold to the new alignment," a senior Minister added.

Interestingly, the proposed "shadow Cabinet" of the Chief Minister performed its role to perfection during the Assembly session and ensured that debates and discussions along with questions that suited the agenda of the Chief Minister were fielded and inconvenient queries were put to the dissident Ministers in the Cabinet in order to embarrass them and show them in poor light.

A shift in political alignments within the ruling Congress was also witnessed during the last fortnight with authentic reports doing rounds of a "patch up" between the Assembly Speaker, Chaudhary Prem Singh and the Chief Minister, something that was quite visible during the proceedings of the House during the 10-day Assembly session. It is learnt that Ms. Dikshit managed to convince Mr. Prem Singh into having a "peace pact" with the sole motive to ensuring a smooth winter session especially when the issue of sealing had become too hot to handle for the Chief Minister and her Government, something she managed quite capably.

Despite things having gone the Chief Minister's way during the session, it has been the Congress and the Government who have lost its position badly among the people of Delhi. Political observers are of the view that the contradictory stand of the Chief Minister and her Government on the issue of sealing during the last 11 months has badly damaged the Congress party.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi