CM faces defiant Ministers

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI, NOV. 18. Although the Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, had entrusted her Cabinet colleagues six districts comprising 70 Assembly segments for coordinating developmental works with MLAs and grassroot workers to prepare the party for the MCD elections, the Ministers have hardly found time for party work and are working in a totally bureaucratic manner.

But showing total disregard to the leadership and Ms. Dikshit, the Ministers are busy pursuing their own personal agenda and the party had been relegated to the background. ``It is a question of survival for us. The talk of a Cabinet reshuffle has already unsettled many Cabinet colleagues. They are busy lobbying with senior leaders in the AICC(I). Where is the time for party work and election preparations?'' asked a senior Minister.

The idea of the whole exercise was to impart a sense of belonging among party workers and leaders at the lower level and also to ensure their proper interaction with Ministers. But the plans of the Chief Minister have gone haywire with the Ministers refusing to shed their bureaucratic approach even on political matters. Despite clear directions that they should fan out to constituencies and hold meetings, hardly any Minister has found time to implement the directions.

If the effort was to reach out to the people and party workers, the exercise is almost a non-starter. No doubt the Ministers had meetings with the MLAs but in their offices. The Chief Minister's plea that they conduct field visits have fallen on deaf ears. Interestingly, it was Ms.Dikshit and the AICC(I) general secretary incharge Delhi, Mr. Kamal Nath, who had initiated this exercise to ensure proper ground before the onset of the election fever. It is understood that the matter had come up for discussion between Ms. Dikshit and Mr. Nath during their interaction on Thursday and Friday. Interestingly, the proposal had been approved by the party president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, before it was put in place.

But all their plans have gone down the drain. The Ministers just refuse to get out of their offices and shed the habit of holding constant meetings inside the Indraprastha Sachivalaya throughout the day. If at all they are out, they would either be on some inauguration spree or catering to the needs of their constituencies. But the constituencies allotted to them by the Chief Minister are begging for attention. The MLAs have complained that the Ministers are not interested in field visits and insist on meetings inside their air-conditioned offices.

It is also not clear if the Ministers were complying with the directions of the Chief Minister to submit progress reports regarding their interactions at the block and district levels. Nor have the Ministers complied with the directive that they submit their tour programmes a month in advance to Ms. Dikshit and Mr. Nath.

It is understood that both have expressed their annoyance. The Chief Minister is believed to decided to call a meeting of her Cabinet colleagues next week and indicate clearly her displeasure over the performances of the Ministers in taking care of the constituencies.

It is believed the MLAs are also peeved over the manner in which the Ministers have sought to brush aside such an important exercise. ``Every one of them is feeling insecure and all their efforts are directed towards consolidating their positions. A poor show could result in some of them being shown the door as has been indicated by the Chief Minister and the party leadership,'' remarked an MLA.

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