Ex-CM says party must be given chance to form Govt, ruffles Cong feathers
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday created a stir by saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should be given a chance to form the Government as that would be good for the people of Delhi. While the Congress was quick to distance itself from her remarks, the BJP praised Dikshit for her “straightforward” statement over the current political deadlock in the national Capital. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that it was not surprised as “there is hardly any difference between the BJP and the Congress”.
The 76-year-old leader, who had led the Congress to three consecutive victories in Delhi Assembly polls between 1998 and 2009, said, “In a democracy, elected Governments are always good as they represent the people. If the BJP has reached such a situation that it can form the Government, it is good for Delhi. In the absence of an elected Government, people don’t know where they should go. And their voice is not heard anywhere.”
Her statement set tongues wagging as it was her first significant political statement after she demitted the office of Kerala Governor. Her statement came at a time when the BJP has been trying hard to cobble up a majority while the AAP has accused the party of trying to lure its MlAs.
Sheila’s statement has created a storm in Delhi’s political circles and it has also generated a sense of unease among the city Congressmen who think that she is positioning herself to join active politics. Dikshit’s loyalist Mateen Ahmed has endorsed her statement saying that if the BJP is in position to form the Government, they should come and form it. Dikshit’s statement is being seen as her re-entry into Delhi politics.
The Congress and the AAP have been demanding fresh elections in Delhi. The Capital has been under President Rule since February after Kejriwal ended his minority Government’s tenure less than two months after it took office. In his September 4 letter, lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung had sought permission from the President to invite the single largest party (BJP) to form a Government in Delhi.
Dikshit also said that MlAs, whether they are from the Congress, the AAP or others, do not want election. “As far as I could understand, every MlA, whether he is from the Congress or the AAP or others, doesn’t want election. People are saying that the MlAs have just been elected and their membership has not crossed even one year. As far as I can understand and people are telling me that they (MlAs) want Government to be formed,” she said adding that it, however, is not clear yet how the Government will be formed.
However, the Delhi Congress immediately distanced itself from Dikshit’s statement, saying it is her personal view and doesn’t represent party’s stand. “We are shocked by Sheila Dikshit’s statement on Government formation. It is her personal views and the Congress has nothing to do with it.
“Our stand is very clear from day one that the Congress would not let the BJP form Government in the national Capital,” Delhi Congress’ spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said.
Dikshit loyalist Mateen Ahmed has supported her statement saying that neither BJP nor Congress MlAs want to go into election. “Being a single largest party, the BJP should explore possibilities to form Government,” Ahmed said.
It may be noted that three Congress MlAs led by Mateen Ahmed had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and tried to impress upon her that Sheila Dikshit should be brought back to Delhi politics as people were not very enthusiastic about the current crop of Delhi Congress leaders.
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP welcomed Dikshit’s “straightforward” statement over current political deadlock in Delhi. Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said, “She (Dikshit) is a very senior leader and has run Government in Delhi for 15 years. She has experience to run Government and knows constitutional norms very well. I praise her for her straightforward statement. It is not about whether a Government will be formed or not, but how you are behaving in politics.”
On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party senior leader Ashutosh said, “I am not surprised by Sheila Dikshit’s statement because we have been saying for a long time that there is good understanding between the BJP and the Congress... And there is hardly any difference between BJP and Congress.”