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DPCC, Sheila Govt. fail to row together

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JUNE 18. The sharp differences between the Delhi Congress and the Sheila Dikshit Government have come to the fore once again. The Delhi Government has been left to defend itself against the Opposition onslaught on various issues including privatisation of Delhi Vidyut Board and liberalisation of the corruption ridden liquor trade in the Capital.

It is no secret that the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president, Subhash Chopra, and the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, do not see eye to eye with each other. The mistrust between the two has reached a crescendo and both are now poles apart. The situation in Delhi is not very heartening as both the party and the Government stand apart and no meeting ground seems to be in sight. The situation is all the more unfortunate keeping in mind that hardly less than 18 months are left for the next Assembly polls and such a situation would work against the interests of the party as well as the Government.

Those in the Government are of the view that the deterioration in the relationship during the recent days is the result of the utter failure of the party to defend the recent policy decisions taken by the Sheila Dikshit Government. Interestingly, both the privatisation of DVB and opening of liquor trade to the private sector have the clearance of the party high command. In fact, the AICC general secretary incharge Delhi, Kamal Nath, has been a strong supporter of the new Excise Policy and was instrumental in pushing it through.

Similarly, the Congress leadership has been a strong votary of reforms in the power sector and the decision to hand over power distribution network to private companies has the clearance of the Congress high command. ''It is unfortunate that our party has preferred to remain silent and unsupportive of the DVB privatisation move. It failed to launch a counter attack on Madan Lal Khurana and the BJP on the whole. We cannot afford to have such a situation when we are about to enter an election year. But then this is all being done to settle score with the Chief Minister,'' remarked a loyalist MLA.

What has been most astonishing is that while the privatisation of DVB has been welcomed by a cross section of people, the Congress party has maintained a silence and has refused to refute the allegations levelled by the BJP. Similarly, in case of Excise Policy, the BJP has launched an offensive against the Delhi Government and threatened an agitation but again the Delhi Congress watches the criticism of the Sheila Dikshit Government with much amusement.

It has failed to highlight the fact that BJP Governments in Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were following a more liberal liquor policy and liquor was even available in grocery shops. ''Why should we defend the Chief Minister and her Government. We were never taken into confidence while deciding on such policy matters. Nothing was discussed in the party forum and we were not kept apprised about the developments on these fronts,'' remarked a senior DPCC leader.

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