On day one, Dikshit and team start poll campaign
2019 LOK SABHA POLLS Newly appointed Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit conducted informal meetings with her core team; new office-bearers to officially take charge on Jan 16
NEW DELHI: A day after taking charge, former Delhi chief minister and the state’s new Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Friday launched the party’s election campaign with informal meetings with her core team.
On Friday morning, wellwishers and supporters flocked Dikshit’s Nizamuddin east residence to congratulate the threetime CM on her new role.
In between accepting greetings and felicitations, Dikshit conducted two introductory meetings with party members.
“The first step will be to meet people from all levels. Congress will be revived in Delhi,” Dikshit said.
Senior Congress leaders said that a ceremony is being planned on January 16 for Dikshit and the three working presidents to formally take charge. Apart from Dikshit, three others — Haroon Yusuf, a former minister in Dikshit’s cabinet, Devender Yadav and Rajesh Lilothia, both twotime state legislators and present All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries — were appointed working presidents of Congress’ Delhi unit.
This is the first time that three working presidents will lead the Congress’ charge to win the 2019 Parliamentary elections and the Assembly elections in the following year.
Devender Yadav, one of the three new working presidents, said that the plan would be to chalk out a strategy and divide responsibilities between the three working presidents.
“After a formal taking over, we will formulate a strategy for the elections and it is for the first time that three working presidents will be working with the DPCC president. We will need to decide who concentrates on what area,” Yadav said.
Dikshit on Thursday had replaced senior party leader Ajay Maken for the post of the state Congress president. Maken, who had held the seat for four years, had cited health reasons for giving up his position.