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Sonia stands by Delhi CM
Rules out change in leadership
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, April 24 — The Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, today got a new lease of life with the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, categorically rejecting any change in leadership at the state level.

“There is no question of change in leadership,” Mrs Sonia Gandhi said outside Parliament, when asked about the demands made by the rebel Congress MLAs seeking the resignation of the Delhi Chief Minister.

The Congress President’s remarks came hours before Mrs Dikshit defended her government. The Delhi Chief Minister, who tried to meet the Congress President this morning, had to return without a face-to-face meeting, as Mrs Sonia Gandhi was busy with Parliament proceedings.

Defending her year-and-a-half-old Delhi Government, Mrs Sheila Dikshit claimed that there was no threat to her government, while stating that the allegations made by the dissident MLAs were “false” and “baseless”.

“There is no threat to my government. The allegations made by a few MLAs were false and baseless,” the Delhi Chief Minister said addressing a press conference here.

When asked whether she had, as a leader of the Congress Legislature Party, plans to take any action against the rebel MLAs, Mrs Dikshit said, the matter will be discussed at the coordination committee and its convener, Ms Prabha Rau would decide on the future course of action.”

Ms Prabha Rau, the AICC General Secretary in charge of party affairs in Delhi, told The Tribune that she would soon consult party senior leaders before taking a decision on the current campaign launched by a section of dissident MLAs against Mrs Dikshit.

Terming Mrs Dikshit as a “corrupt” and “incompetent” Chief Minister, the rebels led by senior Congress leaders in the state, Mr Jagdish Tytler, Mr Sajjan Kumar and 19 other rebels have demanded her resignation.

Talking to The Tribune, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president, Mr Deep Chand Bandhu, who is part of the rebel group, said, “We will meet the Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, in a day or two and apprise her of the factual situation.”

Dissidence in the party had led to the appointment of six-member coordination committee to take up issues relating to the party and the government.

Ms Prabha Rau has been appointed the convener of the committee and other members of the committee were Mr Madhav Rao Scindia, Mr Jag Pravesh Chandra, DPCC vice-president, Mr Deep Chand Bandhu and Mrs Dikshit.