A day before Delhi is set to vote, Sandeep Dikshit, Congress leader and son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, on Friday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments about his mother.
“While our political differences remain, it is very graceful of the Prime Minister @narendramodi to remember Sheila ji and her contribution. My Mother and PM were fellow Chief Ministers for 12 years and often interacted at various forums. Such courtesy is essential in public life,” Mr. Dikshit said on X.
Mr. Modi had, in an interview to a news channel a few days ago, said he respected Sheila Dikshit while attacking “another” Chief Minister for “abusing and slandering” her during her last days.
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are fighting the election in Delhi together in a 3-4 seat-sharing arrangement.
Initially, the Congress’s State unit was not in favour of the alliance. Several senior leaders of the party quit a few days after the seat-sharing arrangement was announced. The most prominent exit was that of Arvinder Singh Lovely who joined the BJP a week after quitting the Congress as its Delhi unit chief. Mr. Lovely said the party leadership went against the decision of the Congress workers and tied up with AAP that came to power by making corruption allegations against the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government in Delhi.
With the Delhi Assembly election scheduled early next year, the bonhomie between AAP and the Congress will soon be put to the test.
