New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi today stepped in to stop open squabbling between senior Congress leaders after the party’s decimation in the Delhi election.
Sources say the Congress president sent out a strong message during a meeting with PC Chacko, the party’s Delhi in-charge.
Mr Chacko had earlier briefed Mrs Gandhi about the party’s dismal performance in polls in the capital.
The Congress did not win a single seat in the polls in which three-year-old Aam Aadmi Party scored a historic 67 of 70 assembly seats.
The defeat has triggered a war of words between three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit and her detractor Ajay Maken, who led the party’s campaign this time.
Ms Dikshit blamed the party’s defeat on a weak campaign led by Ajay Maken, who, she said, should have been more aggressive. “I just pity him,” she said bluntly.
“The campaign was not as aggressive as it should have been. We were muted on the work we had done for 15 years,” the former Delhi Chief Minister said.
The 76-year-old added that she was not involved in the campaign and “wasn’t told about the roadshows.”
Speaking to media earlier, PC Chacko had rebutted Ms Dikshit’s accusation.
“It is not true that we did not consult Sheila dikshit. I have personally gone to her many times to seek suggestions. She is one our most senior most and valuable leaders,” he said.
“Aggressiveness of a campaign is a relative term. But I am sure Sheila Dikshit would realise in our manifesto we clearly highlighted the development in Delhi in the past 15 years. I would urge all leaders to refrain from making public statements. They are entitled to have their opinion and they should be expressed in the party forum,” said Mr Chacko.
