New Delhi

Congress leaders coming together, but slowly

NEW DELHI: Moving ahead with its election preparations in a positive frame of mind, Congress leaders in the Capital are slowly sinking their differences and participating in rallies to realise the common goal of ensuring a record third consecutive victory for the party in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. After years of infighting, it appears to be dawning on the party leaders that not coming together now would be politically suicidal for most of them.

For Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit it is a battle for not only retaining the throne but also putting a seal of approval of the masses on her ten years of governance in Delhi, as the elections this time round are primarily being fought on this card.

Apart from the “fatigue” factor, Ms. Dikshit is also facing a number of other issues. From price rise and terrorism to the BJP bringing all its leaders together under the Chief Ministerial candidature of Delhi veteran Vijay Kumar Malhotra to the Bahujan Samaj Party fielding candidates for all the seats and its growing influence among Dalits and Muslims, both of which traditionally had been Congress voters in Delhi, the Congress has its hands full with difficulties at the moment.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president J. P. Agarwal – left with a growing feeling of being ignored and overlooked by the Delhi Government despite his positive overtures to the Chief Minister in the past year -- is facing a challenging moment too. While he was not able to lead the party candidates to victory in the Delhi Cantonment Board elections not long ago due to heavy infighting, in the recently held Delhi University Students’ Union polls he was actively involved in the efforts which saw the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India bag three of the four central posts despite heavy odds. A victory for the Congress in the Delhi Assembly elections is essential for Mr. Agarwal to prove his leadership capabilities.

For the six Congress members of the Lok Sabha from Delhi, too, it is a time to mend fences and move ahead. At a time when all of them would like to contest the next Lok Sabha polls whenever they are held, they are now working towards ensuring tickets for candidates supported by them for the Delhi Assembly elections as there is a growing demand that they be held accountable for the performance of the candidates supported by them.

In view of these ground realities, many of these leaders have started working together. At many foundation stone laying ceremonies the MPs are increasingly being seen with the Chief Minister.

Of late, Ms. Dikshit and Mr. Agarwal have also started coming together at various conferences and programmes. Despite Ms. Dikshit holding the view that most of the meetings at the DPCC are a waste of time as instead of serious discussions on specific issues they are utilised for making almost every participant speak, she has been trying her best to take Mr. Agarwal along. On October 5 they participated in a major march in Tri Nagar. Though they came at different times, their participation ensured that the march organised by Tri Nagar MLA Anil Bharadwaj on October 5 was a huge success.

However, the party still has to resolve the simmering differences between Union Minister of State for Urban Development Ajay Maken and her “mentor-turned-foe” Ms. Dikshit. At the function organised to distribute provisional certificates for Delhi’s unauthorised colonies by party president Sonia Gandhi recently, Mr. Maken was not allowed to speak. But those close to Mr. Maken insist that his being sidelined is nothing new as in the past also the Delhi Government functionaries have always felicitated Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy for all the “good work”, leaving out Mr. Maken. They maintain that it would be in the best interest of the party if all the party leaders are given due respect and importance.

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