Sonia lenient, I am not: Rahul

Congress vice-president, Rahul Gandhi, met Delhi Congress leaders on Thursday at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters and discussed the strategy for the November Assembly polls. Rahul Gandhi pulled up the state unit workers and asked them to work together for the upcoming polls. Congress workers on their part petitioned Gandhi that there shouldn’t be a rise in tariff for essential services ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls.

‘The Congress workers told Gandhi that there should not be hike in the price or tariff of services like water, power and sewage during the next few months or else the party might lose the forthcoming Assembly polls,’ said a source.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president and north-east MP Jai Prakash Aggrawal said, ‘That in-fighting and factionalism in the Delhi Congress was sorted out in a marathon meeting with party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and that there was going to be  a joint press conference with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit shortly.

When asked how the internal problems of the party were sorted, Aggarwal said, ‘It is not any kind of property dispute. It was just a difference in our viewpoints and it has been resolved in the meeting under Gandhi’s guidance.’

In the four-and-a-half hour long meeting, Gandhi interacted with Congress MPs, MLAs and dignitaries separately and asked them to work together for the upcoming Assembly elections. Concerned with the reports of cold war among the lobbies of DPCC chief J P Aggarwal and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Gandhi said he will not tolerate such in-fighting within the party.

‘He said that the Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) is lenient, but he will not tolerate any kind of indiscipline in the party,’ said a source. The message is loud and clear that party members, especially those who have been sulking for different reasons, must join hands with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to strengthen the party ahead of the polls.

‘He also said that the party should let people know of its achievements in the past 15 years,’ the source added.

Apart from directing the party men to concentrate on the Assembly elections, Gandhi also sought decentralisation of power and asked members to involve the lowest dignitary in decision-making. ‘Gandhi emphasised on the need of decentralisation of power. The decision making power should not be in the hand a few people,’ said Kapil Sibal, Congress MP and union minister.  Congress MP from west Delhi, Mahabal Mishra also said that Gandhi asked the MPs, MLAs and party’s senior dignitaries to invite councillors, block presidents and party worker to express his or her opinion on decisions being taken.

Delhi education minister Kiran Walia said, ‘We are already aware of our deal with the Opposition who is criticising us. It is not that we do not know them.’