In 2012, Cong pitted Sheila as its 'development card' against NaMo

POLITICS CAN BE HEARTLESS,

DELHIITES RETURNED SHEILA DIKSHIT'S 15 YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT AND INFRA WORKS, BYT DEFEATING HER TWICE - ASSEMBLY POLLS IN 2013 AND PARLIAMENTARY POLLS IN 2019

She had almost retired from politics. But in September-October 1998, the high command of Indian National Congress then under Ms Sonia Gandhi - decided to bank on her and she was fielded against a onion price hit-Bharatiya Janata Party and disorganised saffron camp.

BJP was ousted from power in Delhi and Congress romped home. After the verdict, Sheila Dikshit called it a mandate for 'Sonia Gandhi' as she had taken charge of Congress only in 1998 March.

Skyrocketing prices of onions had brought tears in the saffron camp. With Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the helm, BJP lost power in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
An humbled BJP did not have much to say. Sushma Swaraj, then a blue-eyed girl of Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Lal Krishna Advani team, admitted that internal dissension led to BJP's loss. - Ghar ko aag lag gayi, Ghar ka chirag sey

Strength to strength

On the other hand, Sheila Dikshit did not look back. Of course, she did not have it easy always. 
Next year in 1999 Lok Sabha polls, BJP won all seven seats riding essentially a pro-Vajpayee and post-Kargil wave.

She subsequently faced dissensions led by then Congress leaders, including Subhash Chopra and a few other old timers, but Ms Dikshit managed the show well.

Her government brought in a sea change in Delhi's infrastructure starting from All India Institute of Medical Sciences circle flyover and she was given out to be the 'Congress version' of development Chief Minister.Her biggest achievement politically in 15 years had been to expose weaknesses in BJP's so-called organisational strength and the 'party with a difference' in their onetime bastion-Delhi-became a party with differences and 'power brokers'.If BJP is out of power in Delhi even now - circa 2019 - that is 21 years since 1998, the one person they can grudge is Sheila Dikshit.

"So much has been people of Delhi's faith in Sheila Dikshit that in 2018 - the voting took place a day after 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai; yet Delhiites preferred to continue to stick to Congress and BJP was humbled yet again," says an old timer in the BJP.

Photo: Getty Image: HT "woh mere sey chhoti thi - says emotional VK

In 2008 November assembly polls,  an over-confident BJP drafted in veteran Vijay Kumar Malhotra as the chief ministerial face.

By then Sheila Dikshit was also useful to Congress to be pitted against Narendra Modi's idea of development in the western state of Gujarat.

In 2012, she was the chief guest from Congress high command at the release of the party manifesto at Ahmedabad for the Gujarat assembly polls. That election was billed as Modi's 'semi final' as immediately after that within nine months - in September 2013 - Mr Modi was BJP's prime ministerial candidate and the rest is history.

By 2011-12, Sheila Dikshit was haunted by worst enemy of Indian politics - the corruption bug.

India Against Corruption had hijacked all headlines and the likes of Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal took to streets. 

With BJP also cornered in their bastion, came in a little known Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party.

The Congress pet phrase of 'aam aadmi' now became a tool against the party and Sheila Dikshit suffered an electoral defeat in New Delhi assembly constituency in December 2013 at the hands of Kejriwal.

The victory margin was huge--a difference of 24 per cent.

Power play : Heartless Politics

Irony is the way of politics.

Delhiites continued to remain indifferent to her - despite her works in the city - even when she contested the last elections of her life - against Manoj Tiwari in North East Delhi.

She was humbled by a margin of over three lakhs.

And no wonder, within an hour of her demise on Saturday-July 20-Vijay Malhotra told this blogger:  "Her death is a personal loss to me, Delhi and the entire nation. She was younger to me, and she would always acknowledge that. We spoke about ten days back and I told her contesting recent Lok Sabha elections at this age was uncalled. She smiled and had said you are a brother-  I understand what you are  saying,  but my party took a decision and I had to respect that.''

ends