Depriving Delhiites of govt is gross injustice: Cong

It is gross "injustice" to the people of Delhi to keep them deprived of a government for so long, Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni said today and called for fresh polls in the state "if party with numbers" does not come forward to stake claim to form government.

Indirectly referring to BJP, Soni said it should have come forward to stake claim after Arvind Kejriwal resigned.

"When the government led by AAP resigned, the second largest party after it should have come forward to stake claim to form the government in Delhi."But that did not happen and the imbroglio continues.

"If no party comes forward to stake claim, re-election is the only and the best option," she said.

"I want to say this very clearly that it is a gross injustice to the people of Delhi to keep them deprived of a government for so many months.

"If the party which has the numbers doesn't come forward to stake claim to form the government in Delhi, I don't think there can be a better option than going back to the people to seek a fresh mandate," Soni who was here on a daylong visit to take stock of the situation ahead of November 20 poll to a vacant Rajya Sabha seat in the state told reporters here.

Soni, who is the AICC General Secretary and in-charge of the party's affairs in Uttarakhand, evaded a direct reply when asked who would be the party's nominee for the lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat in the state.

"I have spoken to all the prominent leaders in the state including Chief Minister Harish Rawat and PCC chief Kishore Upadhyay on the issue.

"But as you know only the party high command is authorised to take a final call on it," she said.

Soni said she will provide the feedback to the AICC chief who would decide as to who should be made the party nominee for the Rajya Sabha.

Intense lobbying is on within the Congress for the lone Rajya Sabha seat which fell vacant when BJP's Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was elected to Lok Sabha.

Former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna who stepped down to make way for Harish Rawat to take over the reins of power in the state wants it for himself while his successor wants it for one of his team members.

Both of them have made several trips to Delhi over the past week to convince the central leadership on the issue.

The name of PCC chief Kishore Upadhyay considered close to chief Minister Rawat has also been doing the rounds as one of the contenders for the seat.

Soni, however, denied there were fissures within the Uttarakhand Congress over candidature to the Rajya Sabha seat.

"There are no differences in the party on the issue. There can be different views which are welcome in a democratic structure.

"I have gathered all the views and shall provide my feedback to the party chief who will take a final call on it," she said.

The Congress General Secretary also expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the state government for reconstruction and rehabilitation in areas ravaged by last year's calamity.

"Reviewing the status of relief and rehabilitation in affected areas was one of the tasks assigned to me by Sonia ji.

"I have discussed the measures taken by Chief Minister Harish Rawat and can confidently say that what has been done is beyond our expectations," she said.

Noting that steps taken by Uttarakhand government in the wake of the tragedy have come in for great appreciation countrywide, Soni said she had widely toured Jammu and Kashmir during this year's floods and was surprised to find that affected people there wanted compensation on the lines of compensation given in Uttarakhand.