Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said she was ready to play any role in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.
Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said she was ready to play any role in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh. Ms Dikshit’s offer of her services comes when the AICC is said to have prepared a plan for UP expected to be announced during the week.
Asked whether her “closeness” to the Gandhi family and her brahmin credentials were an advantage, Ms Dikshit said, “I am UP’s daughter-in-law, I married there, I was born there. I think that’s enough as a credential that way.”
“Let the announcement come and then only will I be in a position to comment. But I am ready to do whatever the party wants me to as a foot soldier,” Ms Dikshit told reporters during an interaction with the media at the India Women’s Press Corps here.
Contending that one cannot “wish the Congress away”, Ms Dikshit, originally from Punjab, said it was not the first time that the Congress was going through a “low phase”.
“The time at our disposal is short. That’s the only concern I shared. Although apart from the SP none of the parties, including BJP, have actively launched their poll campaign,” Ms Dikshit said on UP.
Asked whether Ms Priyanka Gandhi would participate more actively in the Congress’ election campaign in UP, Ms Dikshit, 78, said she would be a “great asset” and would be “welcomed”. “I can’t tell you what will happen. It would be too presumptuous on my part to assume things. If she joins she will very welcome because she is familiar with Uttar Pradesh. She will be a great asset,” Ms Dikshit said. Congress won’t rule out Sheila as UP CM candidate Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, asked on Tuesday about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s probable elevation to party president, said she wondered whether the “media imagines” a little too much, saying it is a decision that the party’s “working committee and the family” will have to take together. She was speaking at an interatcion with the media at the Indian Women’s Press Corps here.
At the Congress briefing on Tuesday, the party’s chief spokesman, Randeep Surjewala, faced a volley of questions on Ms Gandhi becoming the campaign chief of the party in UP and Ms Dikshit its chief ministerial candidate.
Not ruling out either possibility, his reply was that Mr Azad had given a party president Sonia Gandhi a “blueprint for action” in Uttar Pradesh and the party would make an announcement whenever decisions on these matters are taken.
Mr Surjewala noted that so far Ms Priyanka Gandhi had been campaigning in Amethi and Rae Bareli parliamentary constituencies and that it was for her to decide on canvassing support all over the state.
“If and when any decision is taken regarding the role of Priyanka Gandhi, we will share it with the media,” he said.
