Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s advice to Delhi Congress president Jai Prakash Agarwal and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to sort out their differences has apparently done the trick.
It was evident on Thursday, when Agarwal heaped fulsome praise on the Chief Minister at a function organised by Delhi Congress to felicitate new president of Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress Onika Mehrotra.
Agarwal lauded development work by Dikshit’s Government and said she has changed the landscape.Agarwal also said Dikshit was the face of the city and under her leadership, Delhi has witnessed unprecedented growth over the years. “Sheila Dikshit is the face of the city and she is known for her development model in the country. She has transformed Delhi during the last 14 years,” Agarwal said.
Earlier, in a strong message sent to the party ahead of Assembly elections in four States later this year, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi had said last month that he would not tolerate any kind of anti-party activities and would crack down on indiscipline.
“My mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, may be lenient, but I am not like that. I am very strict,” a party leader quoted Rahul as saying after he addressed a meeting of Congress workers at the office of the Delhi unit.
This warning percolated down to the rank and file of the Delhi Congress and its instant results were all too visible on Thursday. After the Congress vice-president’s tutorial to bury their hatchet, this is the first time that Agarwal, who shared the dais with
Dikshit and lauded her developmental agenda for the National capital.The difference between the Government and the organisation has become a major headache for the Congress High Command in view of forthcoming Assembly elections in November this year.
“We are confident of winning the Assembly polls for the fourth successive term. Our Government in Delhi has left no stone unturned to ensure welfare of all sections of the city and I think people will repose their faith in us,” Agarwal also said on the occasion.
He advised party workers to highlight the achievements of the Congress Government. He further said the BJP was desperate to come to power, and for that they were spreading misleading and false campaigns.
Earlier, Dikshit said that Onika Mehrotra was a good and hardworking woman, and it was now her responsibility to draw out women from their homes to work for the party.
She said during the past 15 years, the Delhi Government had set a record in development works, and the women workers should come forward to make people aware of the development works of the Delhi Government. “I will try to strengthen the party at the grassroot level. My priority will be to take everybody along,” Onika Mehrotra promised.