Amitabh Shukla
The first major trouble for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit within her own party has realigned the political equations in
"What the BJP could not do in six and a half years, the detractors have managed to do in six days," said a senior Congress leader referring to a series of incidents of the last few days. Waiting for a call from the party president Sonia Gandhi, Dikshit herself has said she does not want to continue as an "unwelcome guest".
When Dikshit became the DPCC president and then the CM, she was seen as the unifying factor in the perpetually faction ridden organisation. Having the backing of the party high command, she united the various factions and made the party a force to reckon with. Her suave and sophisticated approach to politics with development the key factor made her a darling of the middle class. No wonder, she rode the anti incumbency factor and brought the party back to power in the December 2003 assembly polls.
Sources close to the CM say that her detractors are not even united on any issue except "relentless anti Sheila tirade". "Most of them do not see eye to eye with each other and cannot even elect a leader amongst them," said a MLA.
Another MLA, considered close to her, said that the entire campaign has been pre planned and orchestrated on behalf of certain central leaders who have an "ego problem" with Dikshit. "Good governance and image of the party should be the key criterion instead of petty squabbles," he said.
DPCC president Ram Babu Sharma said that the question is not of leadership change at the moment. "We just want to apprise the party president how the party workers and the MLAs have been marginalised," he said. Sharma maintained that Dikshit should not have walked out of the executive meeting and alleged the presence of outsiders. The DPCC president is not tired of saying that the party is bigger than any individual.
Dissidence
The first signs of trouble for Dikshit came in the CLP meeting before the Budget session of the assembly. The CM was targeted by a couple of MLAs for rise in power bills, scarcity of water, opening of liquor shops despite opposition from MLAs, centralisation of transfers and postings, implementation of VAT, bureaucracy becoming all powerful and alleged marginalisation of the MLAs in the decision making process.
The grievances were under the carpet but came out in the open during the Executive Committee meeting of the DPCC last week. Even as Dikshit walked out fearing a confrontation between her supporters and the detractors, she continued to be targeted by several MLAs.
Sources say that the roots of the dissidence does not lie in her walking out of the meeting or the water, power issues but alleged failure in meeting the high expectations of the MLAs. Some of them want a reshuffle of the Cabinet to get ministerial berths while others want posts in the boards and corporations. Others want plum postings for their favorite officials. As she did not give in to the blackmail and pressure tactics, the executive committee meeting was used as a platform to target her in a systematic manner.
Even the party high command made attempts to marginalise her role. When she rode back to power in December 2003, she was made to wait for ten days before being given the go ahead. Soon the Lt. Governor was appointed without taking her into confidence. Her bete noire Chaudhary Prem Singh too was made the Speaker despite her opposition. Then came the post of DPCC president which was given to her ardent critic Ram Babu Sharma. (2005)
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