Arvind Kejriwal no threat to Congress in Delhi: Sheila Dikshit

Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, who has led the party to a record three consecutive electoral victories in Delhi, said that she is not “very stressed” over the upcoming assembly elections and “for the fourth time we go with the confidence we shall win.”

On being asked what her agenda for the assembly elections 2013 is, Sheila said she would now plan for the future and would like to develop Delhi further. “I would like to make Delhi a knowledge city, clean service city and a city which tracks people. I would like to double the average annual income of a person in Delhi which is Rupees two lakh at present,” said Sheila. Unveiling her plan of action, the chief minister said, “I would also make double decker flyovers and would like to make Delhi NCR a common developed economic zone which has equality.”

“I would also want to have a kind of coordinated single kind of command in Delhi,” she said. Asked as to why she had not been able to so far push her own party at the Centre for greater freedom to act in Delhi, Sheila said, “There is need for a constitutional change. We will do it once we come to power.”  

On being asked by Zee News editor, Sudhir Chaudhary, whether she considered Arvind Kejriwal a threat, she was quick to reply that she did not consider him to be a threat in this election. She said that one can comment on established political parties and politicians but not on someone who is very new to this profession. She also made light of his challenge of daring her to an open debate saying “Where and when? I read about it only in the media.”

Asked as to why Delhi had turned the rape capital during her rule, she shot back asking, “What about Madhya Pradesh.”

Sheila was at pains to list out her government’s efforts to improve the safety level for women. “Fast track courts have been established. A helpline, 181, has been set up and since the time of its inception until today, the helpline has registered 4.5 lakh calls.” She stuck to her party line on opinion polls. “I don’t take these opinion polls seriously. They do not have a basis. Neither have the candidates been yet announced nor the manifestos released.”

Asked if she was scared of Narendra Modi campaigning for BJP in Delhi, she said that if he was coming to support his party for the assembly elections she was perfectly fine with it.