New Delhi: Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit had such a stranglehold on Congress in Delhi that she refused to allow the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to address a single election rally saying the people were not happy with the Centre.
Sheila Dikshit also prevented Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi from addressing eletion rallies on the last three days of campaign, lulling them into an air of self-complacency.
The Prime Minister's Office sought dates from the Delhi chief minister several times about the election meetings Dr Singh was supposed to address, but no dates were given. This charade went on for nearly 10 days.
The Prime Minister personally wanted to address the large number of Sikh and Punjabi voters in the capital, but out of sheer self-confidence, Sheila Dikshit told the central leadership that she would lead the party to victory for a fourth consecutive term, purely on the issue of development.
