Assembly battle soon but Delhi Congress headless

New Delhi: Even after close to a month since Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit passed away, the grand old party is struggling to find a replacement in the national capital where Assembly elections will be held in about six months. The deliberations on the next head have propped up speculation that among those being considered for the top job are cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu from Punjab and Bihar’s actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Singh. The Delhi unit admits it too is in the dark. “We have no role in the selection of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief. It is for senior party leaders to decide,” one Delhi leader said.

Requesting anonymity, a senior party leader said the party was yet to find a face with as much public appeal as Dikshit, who was three-time Chief Minister of Delhi. “There cannot be a replacement for Dikshit. Also, in a short period, the new chief will have a responsibility to lead the party in the Assembly elections. The party has some names in mind but this will be too soon to say anything,” the leader said. “The Congress had no President after Rahul Gandhi resigned. Now, Sonia Gandhi has taken over. So we are expecting a name to be announced by August end.”

Among the leaders in the Delhi unit are its three Working Presidents — Haroon Yusuf, Devender Yadav and Rajesh Lilothia. (IANS)

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