Congress gets ready for ‘show of strength’ under Sheila Dikshit

NEW DELHI: After getting a new chief and three working presidents, Delhi Congress is planning to turn the event where Sheila Dikshit will formally take

charge

on Wednesday into a

show

of

strength

.


Since Dikshit has been given charge, there has been renewed enthusiasm in the party with a large number of workers meeting the former chief minister. Even on Saturday, she received visitors till late evening. Congress wants to put up a united face by mobilising the maximum number of people for Wednesday’s event at the Delhi Congress office.

The party has decided to ensure that all ex-presidents of Delhi Congress, and former city MLAs and MPs attend the event. By including more and more leaders in the event, Congress hopes to address the issue of factionalism plaguing its Delhi unit for a long time, a source said.

J P Agrawal, a former Delhi Congress chief who had often been at loggerheads with Dikshit in the past, has already called on her and extended his support while Dikshit herself has sought his assistance to strengthen the party organisation, the source added.

Working president

Devender Yadav

said the party would ensure representation of functionaries from every block. “Two separate meetings with block and district presidents will be organised to ensure maximum attendance,” he said. The party will also focus on proper representation from various communities such as Poorvanchali and Muslim to win the confidence of voters from these sections.

Delhi Congress is emboldened by the recent victories of the party in the Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections and many feel that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is the perfect time to make the leaders forget their differences. Keeping the house together is important as the 2019 polls is likely to be a triangular contest among AAP, BJP and Congress.

The new appointees will soon form Delhi

Pradesh Congress Committee

(DPCC), which will oversee party work at the grassroots. The formation of DPCC, which was dissolved years ago, will give several senior functionaries specific responsibilities before the 2019 polls, the source said.