Polls in sight in Delhi, Cong yet to get act together

The "headless" Congress in Delhi is yet to get its act together for the upcoming Assembly elections amid warning signals that its leaders and cadre could switch sides with former MLA Parlad Singh Sawhney joining AAP.

The party does not have a president for the past three months after the death of former Chief Minister and Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit and it is now expected that an announcement may come around Diwali.

The Congress is slow in shifting the gears for the polls despite an impressive come back in the Lok Sabha elections, relegating AAP to the third position, but has not been able to capitalise on it due to leadership crisis.

Adding more woes to the Congress, its four-time MLA Sawhney joined AAP anticipating that the party may give Chandni Chowk seat to Alka Lamba, the sitting AAP MLA who returned to Congress. Sawhney, an MLA from Chandni Chowk between 1998 and 2015 before being defeated by Lamba, is said to have eye on the seat for his son.

Sawhney, who was a close aide of Dikshit, said he is impressed by the AAP's work and has not joined the AAP for getting a ticket to contest the upcoming assembly polls.

Sawhney is the third former MLA from Congress to join AAP with former minister Raj Kumar Chauhan and former lawmaker Surinder Pal Singh Bittu being the others since Lok Sabha election campaign.

Though there is no president, the Congress is now struggling to build a campaign and AICC in-charge P C Chacko has met district presidents and other office-bearers.

With its rivals AAP and BJP surged miles ahead in poll preparations, Congress now plans to hold booth-level meetings after Dusshera on October 8, as it is felt that the absence of a president should not hinder election preparations.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has held discussions with Delhi leaders on the choice of the president but no decision has been taken. While a large number prefer Ajay Maken, he appeared to be not keen to take up the post.

Post Lok Sabha elections, the Delhi Congress has not been able to organise any formidable protest against the AAP government in the capital or the BJP-government at the Centre despite issues like power, demolition of Ravi Das temple by authorities and hike in onion prices.

The rising onion prices had catapulted Congress to power in 1998 and then it ruled the capital city for next 15 years before the AAP juggernaut.