Knives out in Congress over Delhi debacle; Sheila Dikshit attacks Ajay Maken

NEW DELHI: A war of words today broke out in the Congress over its whitewash in the Delhi elections with senior leader Sheila Dikshit attacking Chief Ministerial candidate Ajay Maken, saying he thought he could do everything by himself but could not enthuse the cadre.

"I just pity him. Ajay Maken was not the way to put the right focus. He thought he would do all by himself. He did not involve anyone else. Quite obviously his style did not help the Congress party," 76-year-old Dikshit said, in a no-holds- barred attack on her younger rival in the party.

As knives were out, P C Chacko, the Congress in-charge of the affairs in Delhi, came to Maken's rescue saying that it was better for Dikshit to keep silence and said the party does not endorse her views.

Maken's supporter and DPCC Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said there was no benefit of giving advice after the elections.

Dikshit appeared to fault the last minute decision to bring in Maken saying "change was made in the last minute. Ajay Maken coming in and Arvinder Singh Lovely not contesting."

"Maken could not enthuse the party. He failed to highlight the achievements of the Congress governments in the 15 years till 2013. It was not my achievement. It was Congress' achievement. They should have taken my name (during the campaign). Had they done it, the party would have done better," she told PTI.

The former Chief Minister said she would soon go to party Chief Sonia Gandhi to discuss about the ways to revive Congress in Delhi saying it was currently in "very bad shape" and that she was pained to see it losing its support base so dramatically.

Dikshit also indicated her willingness to take the responsibility to lead the party's revival.

"It is upto the party high-command to take a decision on the issue," she said.