Sheila to be sworn in today
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 2 — The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and chief of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Ms Sheila Dikshit, will be sworn in as the first Congress woman Chief Minister of Delhi tomorrow.

The oath of office and secrecy will be administered to Ms Dikshit and her Council of Ministers by Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor at Raj Niwas.

According to the National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, the Cabinet cannot be more than 10 per cent of the strength of the assembly. Since Delhi has a 70-member assembly, the strength of the Cabinet, including the Chief Minister, cannot exceed seven members.

Ms Dikshit was elected as CLP leader on Monday after successfully steering the party to an overwhelming victory against the ruling BJP in the November 25 elections.

Of the 69 seats contested, the Congress won 51 and the BJP 15. Two seats went to Congress rebels who contested as Independents while one was claimed by the Janata Dal. Polling in Nangloi Jat was postponed following the killing of Samata Party candidate Ved Singh during campaigning.

Ms Dikshit will be the Congress party’s second Chief Minister of Delhi, the first being Chaudhary Bhahm Prakash in the early fifties.

The BJP which came to power after the 1993 elections had three Chief Ministers during its five-year reign — Mr Madan Lal Khurana, who resigned following the hawala allegations, Mr Sahib Singh Verma and Ms Sushma Swaraj.

Ms Dikshit will be the second successive women Chief Minister taking over the mantle from Ms Swaraj who had a brief tenure of a little less than two months.

The Congress deferred the swearing-in ceremony by a day even though the names of the candidates for ministerial berths are reported to have been finalised.

Sources in the DPCC said the decision to defer the ceremony by a day was taken ostensibly to "avoid the bad luck that plagued former Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana" who was sworn in on December 2.

Meanwhile, various groups within the Congress Legislature Party have been holding meetings to ensure that at least one candidate amongst them is accommodated by Ms Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister-designate, in her cabinet.

The problem of Cabinet formation is further compounded by the fact that the Congress has won the poll with a thumping majority and there are now several ministerial aspirants with most of them claiming to represent a votebank.

Those in the ministership race are former DPCC chiefs Deep Chand Bandhu and Prem Singh. Mr Prem Singh has not lost a election since 1958 from the Ambedkar Nagar constituency.

Others include Ms Tajdar Babar, Mr Mangat Ram Singhal, Mr Subhash Chopra, Mr S C Vats and Mr Mahinder Singh Saathi.

Ms Sheila Dikshit will have her hands full in trying to ensure that the ministerial berths are allotted without treading on too many toes.

With 42 newcomers, nine women and a 28-year-old legislator, the assembly this time will be a lot more glamorous. Out of the 51 Congress legislators, 36 are new and among the BJP’s 15 members in the House, five are new.

However, the House will miss the political acumen, wit and humour of the "grand old man of Delhi politics", Mr Jag Pravesh Chandra, who did not contest.

Not only the number of women legislatures has increased, but the number of Sikh MLAs has gone up to six from a lone member in 1993.

Interestingly, major office-bearers in the last assembly will be missing from the new House with Speaker Charti Lal Goel, Leader of the House, Sahib Singh Verma and Leader of the Opposition Mr Jag Pravesh Chandra not contesting the poll.